


Daughter of Twilight

by PoeticAnt44, Vokunkendov



Series: Children of Daedra [1]
Category: Elder Scrolls, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Attempted Murder, Betrayal, Blood and Violence, Canon-Typical Violence, Character Death, Children of Characters, Children of Daedra, Crimes & Criminals, Daedric Artifacts (Elder Scrolls), Daedric Princes (Elder Scrolls), Demiprince, Ebonmere, Elder Scrolls Lore, Evergloam, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Falling In Love, Fanart, Heist, Jealousy, Love, Multi, Murder, No Dovahkiin | Dragonborn, Pre-Skyrim Main Quest, Realms of Oblivion, Resentment, Seduction, Thieves Guild, Thieves Guild Questline (Elder Scrolls)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-07
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:35:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 29
Words: 132,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24583165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PoeticAnt44/pseuds/PoeticAnt44, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vokunkendov/pseuds/Vokunkendov
Summary: Nocturnal watches from afar a young man she wishes to bring into the fold of the Trinity, a Nightingale.  But it is more than his protection she needs.  She has found a way to reproduce and she has chosen Gallus to fulfill that desire before he ever leads the Thieves Guild or meets Karliah.  It is his job to find two more Nightingales once his task is done and he would be rewarded with riches and fame.  Nearly a year later, a mysterious baby appears out of nowhere in the Thieves Guild, but it soon realized this child is not only Gallus' daughter but Nocturnal's as well.  He has been tasked with taking care of the child.Years later, Gallus is betrayed and murdered by Mercer, and Karliah is forced to flee being accused of the death of a beloved leader.  His daughter still a child of ten flees to a family friend in her grief where she will grow up and practice her special abilities and magic.   Eventually, there is word that the Guild is falling apart after all the hard work her father put into it.  She chooses to finally return home, but not as she is.  She will return in disguise, not wanting those she knew and grew up with to recognize her.Fan Art Chapter 3, 6 and 16
Relationships: Brynjolf (Elder Scrolls)/Original Female Character(s), Gallus Desidenius/Karliah
Series: Children of Daedra [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1776904
Comments: 205
Kudos: 124





	1. Into the Evergloam - Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This story will provide a more in-depth insight into Gallus and Karliah, but this is mostly Gallus since he's the father of the OC. I tried my best to make him interesting since there is little known about him or what he's like other than what we see in the game.
> 
> The timeline here was most likely during the Great War, but we have left out that part entirely just to focus on the story itself and not get distracted by other lore.
> 
> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoy this special story. My friend and beta reader, Vokundendov, came up with a wonderful idea and we have been spending quite a while hashing it out. This will be part of a series of stories that we hope you will come to enjoy, Children of Daedra. Instead of my beta reader, Vokundendov is a co-writer. A lot of lore and research went into this, then we filled in the blanks where there was no information.
> 
> We would LOVE to know what you think. Don't be shy, leave a comment! We will respond. All comments are welcome as long as they are respectful.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gallus stumbles onto a book about the Nightingales and travels far to give his oath to Nocturnal, who in return wants more than his vows. She has another task for him, which will take him to her realm. In return, she will reward him with wealth and fame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope you like this introduction into Nocturnal's world and I spent quite a bit of time hashing out Gallus' character.
> 
> Sexual Content in this chapter, thus NSFW.

He tried to steady his nerves, but his hands continued to shake, and he could feel the sweat inside his new Nightingale armor as he stood on the threshold between his world and Nocturnal's realm. Gallus Desidenius didn't know what Nocturnal could possibly want from him since she wasn't very forthcoming with information. Of course, the Daedra were always shrouded in mystery. You pull one thread thinking you found their secrets only to find the whole fabric has disintegrated in your hands. He knew that he was going to find out soon enough as he stood holding the Skeleton Key she had given him. Mortals were generally not allowed into the Evergloam unless they were invited as Gallus was, but it didn't stop the foolhardy from trying. It was the very key he promised to protect in the Twilight Sepulcher until his dying days or until Nocturnal finally released him of his duties. 

Just moments ago, he stood there on the emblazoned circle and made a vow before Nocturnal after stumbling on a book about the secret organization back in his own country. The whole idea enthralled him that if he could offer his services to Nocturnal, she could bestow upon him such skills and luck to make him a master thief, something to which he nearly excelled at already, despite his youth. He traveled a long way from Cyrodiil to Skyrim to become a servant of the Lady of Shadows, but this wasn't about giving worship to her. Gallus wasn't about to grovel at her feet and beg her for powers and gifts. Nocturnal would never have appeared that night when he promised to do her bidding in exchange for her favor. 

Barely twenty Summers, he was young and virile. He was able to use his charms and good looks to obtain most of what he wanted in life without having to sneak around stealing them, or using other nefarious means. Using charm was so much more fun as well as challenging. Nocturnal appeared to take a keen interest in the young man as he kneeled before her. Though Lady Luck wasn't one for flourished words, sometimes harsh, it was clear she wanted more from the young man than his promises.

The Night Mistress hovered before him as he vowed to her services, two crows perched on both of her arms, her robes barely covering smooth flesh as he tried not to stare at her long legs and breasts that nearly fell out of their protective fabric. She demanded he come to her in the Evergloam, and to her pocket realm of Crow's Wood. He had to go willingly for her plans to come to fruition as Nocturnal handed him the Skeleton Key, a key that could open anything, including portals into other realms. It was her most prized and valued artifact, and it didn't escape her notice she was handing it to a young man newly pledged into her services. Nothing great was achieved without risk.

Gallus took a deep breath to calm himself as he forced his mind to remember that he would already be so if Nocturnal wanted him dead. Holding the Skeleton Key towards the portal before him, the shimmering blues and shadows almost appeared like the surface of a dark lake in a storm. As he drew near the portal, the key vibrated and glowed in his hand as his world washed away, and he entered into the darkness.

For some reason, Gallus didn't assume Crow's Wood to be literal. Very little light penetrated the darkness, casting this eerie and murky purple and black sky. As he stepped, the land was damp and muddy, and the dead trees looked like giant wood corpses dancing in the darkness. Old and carved stone reminiscent of ancient buildings decorated the landscape, though he knew people never lived there. It was eerily silent other than the Daedra in the form of crows cawing and eyeing him high up from their roost of trees and stones, loud in their solemn songs in the silence.

As he looked out at the foreboding landscape, Gallus had no idea what direction he was to go— _how am I supposed to find her through all this?_ No sooner had he asked the question in his head, that a small bright orb appeared before him and started to move ahead. He assumed the light was there for him and followed it.

Gallus didn't know how long he slowly chased the orb, uncertain where it was going— _there's no turning back now_ , he thought nervously and with little choice, pressed forward. After what seemed nearly an hour, the orb ended, and a door stood before him. He grasped the handle of the ornate wooden door with the Nightingale symbol carved into it and opened it, feeling the sweat on his palms through the leather gloves.

Once inside, Gallus was enveloped by a cloud of darkness, or perhaps the entire area was filled with dark fog or shadow, if it could flow, he couldn't be sure. He was afraid to move, not sure what was before him if anything. 

"Step forward," the woman demanded, her voice deep and resonant. "There is nothing here that will harm you."

Gallus, recognizing Nocturnal's voice, stepped forward, and the dark fog started to lift with each step. Once the room was cleared, there was but one measly candle that gave off a hint of light in the nearly complete darkness. Before him, lying on a chaise lounge, was Lady Luck herself, her two loyal crows each perched on a shoulder. Her already thin and scant fabric of her robes, slipping off smooth legs, one breast nearly falling out. He swallowed hard at her seductive appearance and struggled to focus on her face, which didn't help. Her cowl was removed, allowing her long black tresses to spill down her back and across a shoulder. Her crystalline blue eyes nearly glowed, which surprised Gallus, as he was expecting more black eyes.

Wanting to take his eyes off of her, he kneeled before Nocturnal on one knee, looking down on the ground. "I am here as you beckoned. What is it you would have of me?"

The woman before him slowly chuckled. "Why, I will have all of you." She knew it would make no sense to the young man in front of her kneeling, but the very thought amused her anyway. Then her amusement gave way to irritation. "If I wanted a sniveler, I could have chosen any mortal lout I wished. Stand, and quickly before I change my mind."

"I am no sniveler. I was merely...distracting myself."

"Distracting, hmmm? Distracting yourself from this?" she asked, standing slowly from her chaise lounge as her thin robes slipped off, pooling to the ground, and she stood before him completely naked. Her birds flew away to some unseen dark recess of the room as she vanished into a shadow only to suddenly reappear behind him.

Gallus tried not to jump out of his skin when she suddenly popped up behind him, but his heart raced, and he knew she could most likely sense it. Soft and delicate fingers pulled back his hood and slipped off his mask, revealing his face. Those same fingers caressed his cheek like being touched by smoke as he closed his eyes. Nocturnal's fingers moved from his face and tangled in his thick dark curls that were wet from sweating in his hood and mask. 

"Do you know why I dress as I do? No, it is not entirely for your pleasure, but you are free to be...pleased. It is a tool, a tool for distraction. Distraction makes for easy pickings among the weak and simple-minded."

"You could easily distract any man...or woman," Gallus stammered.

As abruptly as she appeared to him, just as quickly she was back lounging on her chaise lounge, completely naked before him as she ran a hand along the smooth skin of her arm and ended up on grasping her breast. "Do you like what you see, Gallus?" she asked as she pinched a nipple. "Are you delightfully distracted?"

He swallowed and nodded. To indicate otherwise, he knew, would draw the Daedric woman's ire, but he was not lying. If there was ever a woman with the perfect female form and beauty, it was Nocturnal, Lady Luck. Gallus didn't know if this was a form she chose or if this was the real Deadric Prince before him. He tried not to envision her as anything other than a beautiful woman. 

"You are the epitome of beauty, my lady, but what is it you will have of me? I must know."

The Night Mistress looked into his dark brown eyes, a crooked smile played on her plump lips. "As I have told you already, I will have all of you. I want you to take me, touch me, kiss me...fuck me. Does that sound pleasing to you? In return, I will bestow on you great gifts of the shadow. Gifts that you can...pass down to an apprentice if you will."

"I can think of worse fates, my lady," he said teasingly, only too happy to have his way with Nocturnal herself, imaging what kind of rewards or gifts she would give him. It was better than the other thoughts that were coursing through his worried mind.

"Fate...I wonder. You will be my faithful servant, or perhaps my worst enemy, we shall see in the coming years, but that is the beauty of the unknown—is it fate or luck? They do call me 'Lady Luck' after all. That is what I am, is it not?" 

"Indeed, mistress. I am a full believer in luck, and that you are the bearer of such gifts."

"Is that a yes, then, my dear and faithful, Gallus? I must have you willing."

"I am at your mercy, my lady."

"It is nice to see someone figure things out so readily," she said as she vanished once more in a wisp of smoke, which swirled around his body as a snake might around a tree or an unsuspecting neck. As the smoke dissipated, Gallus looked down to see he was completely naked, uncertain where all his gear went off to, hoping it would eventually be returned to him.

"Do not fret, young one. I have everything of yours neatly stowed away and will be returned to you eventually," Lady Luck said, sensing his unease at losing his things.

Gallus didn't like how Nocturnal used the word 'eventually,' hoping he would not be in her realm for longer than it would take to fulfill her wish. If sex was all she wanted, it would be done in less than an hour.

He looked around for the Daedric woman, but she was nowhere to be found. Before he could ask as to where she was, he was enveloped with dark smoke and mist once more. Gallus gasped aloud, and his breath shuddered as he hardened, the smoke encompassing his girth. It was a feeling he was unable to describe if he was asked what it felt like to have Nocturnal suck him off. There were no other words to describe the sensation. Or was she sucking him off? Perhaps this was how she had sex. Looking down, all he could see was a black mist, fog, surrounding the lower half of his body. Trails of mist caressed his skin like ethereal fingers.

Though it was more pleasure than he had ever felt, he tried to pull away, but the smoke held fast. "No, I want to see you as you were," he managed to get out, trying to be more demanding than he felt. If he was to please the Lady, he wanted to do it as he saw her before.

Nocturnal solidified before him, no longer pleasuring him, but she was not dissatisfied with his desire to see her. If it helped him with her request, she would be the beautiful woman he wished her to be. 

"Better?" she asked, a crooked smile played on her face.

Gallus' only response was to grab her face with two hands as he forced his lips against hers, his tongue exploring her mouth. Her eyes were in surprise for a moment, not expecting him to react so, but pleased that he wanted her willingly. Nocturnal's arms snaked around his neck, feeling his own hands explore her body as they kissed.

The Daedric woman pulled away from him, grabbed his hand, and pulled him over to a bed that appeared out of nowhere. Letting his hand go, she slinked into the bed, lying on her side, enjoying the young man's lustful eyes.

"I have watched you from the shadows for some time now, young Gallus. Imagine my pleasure when you showed up at my very doorstep, so to speak. I see what you do to those young women and men when you want something. I want you to do that to me. That will be your gift to me." She purposefully omitted the fact that she placed the Nightingale's book in a place that he would discover it.

"Anything…" he said, his desire too far gone to turn back.

Nocturnal moved to lie back on the bed, spread her legs before him, and groaned in delight when she felt his warm, smooth tongue glaze over folds and twirl around on her sensitive nerves. Something like this was impossible to have as mist and darkness and shadow, oh, but in human flesh, there was no comparison. She soon understood why men and women enjoyed Gallus so much.

If Gallus hadn't known better, he would have thought another Daedric Prince by the name of Sanguine was at play here, but he knew enough about Nocturnal that she couldn't, no wouldn't be controlled by the likes of Sanguine. She clearly had a purpose behind what they were doing, but for the moment he didn't care, enjoying her wails of pleasure. To be able to bring the Daedric Prince of Shadow to orgasm was ego filling, indeed. 

She quickly flipped him over as she sat upon him, looking down at his lust-filled eyes. "Hmmm, careful, Gallus. I just may keep you here," she teased. "Alas, you have other duties to perform in my name." 

Nocturnal pleased at his hardness, slipped him inside of her, cocking a smile at his hiss as he entered her. She tsked him as he tried to thrust in her, wanting to tease him a bit longer. There was only one purpose behind her efforts with Gallus, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to enjoy every moment of pleasure. 

Gallus woke up in a tangle of silky blankets in the down-filled bed, not knowing what time or day it was. The hours and days all seemed to blend together, blurring the lines of reality. All he knew was that his body felt nearly broken. Despite his youth, Nocturnal had wrung him literally dry like newly washed laundry. Not that he didn't enjoy himself, but he was done, finished, spent, debilitated, annihilated. There was not a speck of desire left in his body. If anyone could cure Gallus of a desire to ever have sex again, it was Nocturnal, the Mistress of deflating men...permanently.

As his vision cleared, he was relieved the Daedric Prince was nowhere in sight. That didn't mean she wasn't around, most likely watching him in a cloud of darkened mist, but he didn't think she could squeeze a drop more out of him anyway. Besides, his head felt like it was kicked in by a horse. Soon all that pain quickly vanished as he startled awake, seeing a Daedra with a tray full of food and drink. Gallus shouldn't have been surprised. It wasn't the first time he had seen the creature, but the thing kept appearing out of thin air, and he was never prepared for it.

"Mistress says you need to eat," she said as he placed the tray of food on the table. The female looked like a cloud with wispy flowing white hair and swirling mist for a dress.

Gallus stomach rumbled, reminding him he had not eaten in a while, and he was famished. The first thing he did was gulp the healing and stamina potions down provided with his meal. He didn't want any more of Nocturnal's attention, but he was utterly drained and in pain. Shifting to a more comfortable position in the chair, it reminded him of how raw he was too.

He was mid-way through swallowing some eggs, when Nocturnal appeared through a wisp of smoke, startling him— _they really need to stop scaring me like this_ , he complained in his head as he started choking on his food. 

"You really should swallow more slowly, my dear boy," she said, chuckling at his reaction. She curled up in the chair across from him, dressed once more in her thin robe, picking at a perfect fingernail.

"My lady, as much as I...appreciate your attention, how much longer do you plan on keeping me here?" he asked as soon as he stopped coughing.

Nocturnal scoffed, "You cannot lie as I always know. I know you are tired of me, but I cannot blame you. It is no easy thing for a mortal to keep up with the likes of me. To answer your question, you are free to go as soon as you are done with your meal. I have gotten...all that I need from you."

Gallus wasn't sure what exactly it was she needed from him besides pleasure. Perhaps that was all it was, but he had a feeling there was more to it than that, afraid to ask and not entirely sure he wanted to know.

She inched closer to him and dragged her fingernails gently across his face. "It has been...well, a pleasure, my dear Gallus. I may require your services at some point in the future once again. But for now, you are free to go and do as you desire. Please, accept these as a token of my...esteem, if you will."

Gallus looked in surprise as the two items Lady Luck was holding that materialized out of thin air. In one hand was a simple gray leather cowl, nothing more than a bit of leather that didn't look like a Daedric artifact in the least. In her other hand was a beautifully carved and sleek bow. He reached out to grab them, but Nocturnal pulled back.

"Do not treat these gifts lightly, Gallus. They are yours to borrow, not keep, but you can use them as long as you need them. The cowl, when worn, will obscure your face to others. It will help keep you in the shadows, and no one will ever recognize you as you are wearing it. And this is the Bow of Shadows. When used, it will heighten your attack speed and render you invisible to your enemies for a short period. The key I will keep, and it is your job now to protect it. Protecting the Skeleton is, in essence, protecting me. Is that understood?"

Gallus gave a slight bow to his head in acknowledgment. "Yes, my lady. These are indeed great gifts, and I will do whatever I can to protect you and the key."

"Excellent! While you go about with your business, you will have one more task before you. I need you to recruit two other members into the Nightingale family. There must always be three. You will first find Karliah Indoril. Her mother and grandfather were both part of the Nightingales. Her mother recently died protecting the Twilight Sepulcher from mercenaries. Karliah now needs to fill her mother's...shoes. Let her know that you are to be the leader of the Nightingales…"

"If she has a long-standing relationship with the Nightingales, shouldn't she lead?" he asked, not wanting to step on any toes being so new into the fold.

"You will lead as I command it! Do not make me regret my decision by interrupting. I may have fucked you and have need of you, but that doesn't mean I will not take it all away. Karliah will understand. You will then find a third."

"It will be done, my lady."

"This new person must be worthy and someone you can trust with the knowledge of the Skeleton Key. Take your time to ensure they are of the utmost quality," she said, dragging manicured nails through his thick curls.

"Yes, my lady."

"I knew I chose the right man for the tasks I have laid before him. You will be rewarded greatly for your efforts, Gallus." 


	2. To Be a Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gallus hears rumors of a thieving problem in Riften and decides it could be the perfect opportunity to establish a criminal foothold in the Skyrim, but first, he must show he is leader material and the ability to organize them into a true Guild.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We get to meet a very young Brynjolf :). There isn't much said about Gallus and Brynjolf, but they must have known each other. This plays a little bit of the mod "Brynjolf has time for you," which addresses a little bit about his relationship with Gallus when he was younger.

Some weeks later, Gallus arrived in Riften. He was never a part of the famous Thieves Guild in Cyrodiil with the infamous Grey Fox, who ruled it an era ago. He wanted to make his mark on the world, and he couldn’t do that under the boot of another. There were parties to crash and wealthy men and women to sleep with that earned him his wealth back home despite the Great War going on. But now that he was in Skyrim, he had to make his own way once more. 

There was word that Riften was becoming a hotbed of crime and thievery. Gallus was confident the city would be where he would make his mark. The Rumor mill was these thieves were unorganized and quickly killed or jailed. With Nocturnal at his back, he could organize the thieves of Riften and establish a new guild there. Riften was ripe with the wealthy and the poor. It was a city he could create a network of information from the homeless and orphans running rampant.

Once he found a place, somewhere he could organize, he would recruit some thieves, then go out in search of Karliah. Nocturnal was not forthcoming as to Karliah’s whereabouts, but if she were a thief, he would keep his ears open to crimes of a higher nature.

It was late afternoon, and the day was warm when Gallus arrived in Riften. Taking a deep breath at the stench, he smiled and knew he found home. The city had a homeless and orphan problem, which was perfect for networking and enough wealthy people where he could get in close to the nobles. People tended to speak too openly around the homeless, who were virtually invisible with indifference.

It was too late in the day to do much of anything other than grab an early dinner and rent a room at the local inn and tavern for a few days having no other place to stay for the moment. Before he headed inside the Bee and Barb, Gallus noticed a homeless woman in her mid-forties begging for a Septim. Her long blonde hair was in knots, dried leaves and dirt made a nest in it, her body covered in filth, and her clothes were in tatters. He would start with her. 

Gallus kneeled in front of her, trying to ignore the odor coming off of her, pulling out his coin purse from his coat pocket. He slowly opened the little bag almost tauntingly, shaking it so she could hear the gold inside clink. When the bag of coins had her full attention, eyes bobbing up and down with the little pouch's movement, he asked his questions.

“So what’s the word on the street these days? I know people like you keep a close eye on the comings and goings of the people of the town,” he said, continuing to clink his coin, hinting that she would be paid for her information. “You are the eyes and ears of this town, aren’t you?” he asked, whetting her ego.

The grime on her face cracked as she narrowed her eyes and scowled at the handsome young man before her. "No one cares about us! No one! We could die, and no one would ever know! They'd just throw our corpses in the canal. Why? Why do you come here, taunting!”

“I am not taunting you, I assure you. I will give you some gold for whatever you wish to do with it. I just need some gossip about the town. The amount you get is dependent on the amount of information you give. What’s your name?”

She eyed the man, then shrugged. “Fine, it’s Edda. Gossip, eh? Well, I heard a Maven Black-Briar has been moving up in the world after opening a meadery. It tastes like swill, yet she’s making a fortune on it for some reason. The new Jarl, Laila Law-Giver, she’s called is young and stupid. She has no idea what goes on in her Hold, let alone Riften. Or maybe you are looking for marriage? A Temple of Mara is located over there,” she nodded her head in the direction of the temple, waggling her eyebrows in Gallus’ direction as her way of a flirtation. 

Gallus chucked, “No, I’m not the marrying type, sorry.”

“Shame…”

“Anything else?”

“Well, thieves are running rampant in this forsaken city. The Jarl, as I said, is clueless about it. Maven, I heard, has been trying to get them organized for some reason, but she has yet to be successful.”

“Indeed?” That bit of information was more useful to him. It was something he could use to get perhaps close to her, form a business arrangement of sorts.

“But it’s hard to get in to see her. Though I heard…” Edda leaned forward as if she knew a deep and dark secret, and Gallus leaned in to hear her. “The Jarl is supposed to have some sort of soiree or ball, who knows, but all the wealthy will be there. She does love her parties.”

“Do you know when?”

“Now that I cannot tell you. You’re just going to have to find out for yourself. It’s not like I get an invitation to these things. So was my information useful to you?”

“Indeed, it was.” Gallus handed over ten Septim to the woman who took it greedily and bit into one as if tasting its authenticity. “Will this suffice?”

“Yes, yes...lovely gold! If you ever need anything, you be sure to find your good friend Edda!”

“That’s a promise, Edda. Thank you.”

Gallus stood and headed inside the Bee and Barb to get a meal and think about all the information Edda provided him. As soon as he walked into the tavern, he was surprised to see the diversity of the place. The place was crowded and had nearly every race inside.

"Welcome to the Bee and Barb, milord. If I can interest you in one of our special drinks, you let me know,” announced a rather large Argonian covered in yellow and green scales and brandishing a lovely set of yellow and green feathers from his head.

“I’m no lord, but thank you,” Gallus replied and wondered, since this Argonian worked there, perhaps he could glean some information from him as well. “What special drinks are you serving? I’m always willing to try something new.”

“Ah, ha! A man who lives an interesting life, I bet! There are three to choose from. They're my own recipe. Brought them over here from my days as a bartender in Gideon. First is the "Velvet Lechance," which is a mixture of blackberry, honey, spiced wine, and a touch of nightshade... perfectly safe, I assure you. Second, we have the "White-Gold Tower," which is heavy cream with a layer of blended mead, lavender, and dragon's tongue on top. Last, and only for the bravest of souls, we have the "Cliff Racer," which is Firebrand Wine, Cyrodiilic Brandy, Flin, and Sujamma."

“Hmmm, they all sound delicious. Let’s try your Velvet Lechance.”

“I knew you would pick that. A refined man with refined tastes!”

“Thank you, and bring whatever stew you have cooked with some fresh bread, please.”

When the Argonian returned with his drink and food, Gallus took the opportunity to pepper him with questions. “What’s your name, friend? I’m Gallus and have just come to town to live here, perhaps.”

“Welcome to Riften, Gallus. I’m Talen-Jei. Anything else I can get you?”

“Actually, I do have a question. I heard there are some thieves around here running rampant in the City. Can you tell me more about them?”

Talen-Jei had a look of distaste on his lizardly face if one could call it that. It was so hard to tell what Argonians were feeling. “They’re vermin...garbage! They’re exactly what makes this city such a horrible place to live. How appropriate they should live in the Ratway with the rest of the trash. How are you liking the Velvet Lechance?”

“Delicious! Well done! So, what’s the Ratway?” Gallus asked.

“Disgusting, ruined sewers filled with goodness knows what. There’s an entrance down by the canal, but I’d advise you to stay out of there...it's their territory.”

“Indeed. Thank you for the information. Oh! Before you go, I need a room for a few nights.”

****

While eating breakfast the next day, Gallus made plans on how to gain a foothold with the nobles. First, he would need to purchase some more tasteful attire if he wanted to impress Maven Black-Briar as well as Jarl Laila. If he could get on the good side of both women, perhaps he could be invited to this soiree. Then he would delve deep into the sewers and find where the thieves were hiding out.

After making his purchases and dropping them off in his room, he headed straight to the sewage system. If the smell of Riften was foul, the odor of the Ratway, as soon as he locked-picked the door open, assaulted him like a ton of bricks. He pulled up his mask over his mouth and nose, though it did little to quell the stench. Then he donned his hood and pulled out a dagger as he slowly and quietly made his way into the tunnels.

The Ratway was eerily quiet, except for dripping water in places and a rat here and there. It was dank and musty, and Gallus wondered how people could stand living down there. He assumed that if there were thieves down there, they would still be sleeping as they tended to work at night. If he were in charge, that would change. 

After traversing what seemed like nearly an hour, he still had not come across anyone, though there were signs of people living down there with discarded bottles and other assorted trash. When there was no place left to go, Gallus came across a locked door. 

_This must be the place where they are hiding. At least the thieves aren’t stupid enough to hide in the open down here, though someone needs to guard the entrance._

Taking out his lockpicks once more, he fumbled with the simple lock, breathing a sigh when he heard the tumblers click. Opening the door, clean, flowing water, and fresh air greeted him. The cavernous room was large and full of filth, smashed crates, broken bottles were everywhere. As he walked deeper in, a few people were sleeping on old, moldy bedrolls on the ground, not even hearing him come in. _No wonder they get caught all the time. One has to be alert to be a good thief._

Gallus toed the first person he came to, dagger drawn, and held it behind his back to be ready, but non-threatening. “Come on, miss. Time to wake up.”

The woman beneath his boot groaned, clearly hungover and not quick to rise. The others must have been drunk or hungover as well as they didn’t react at all to his voice. “Come on...wakey, wakey.”

As the girl’s eyes cleared, they looked up in alarm to see a strange man hovering over her. Sensing danger, but reactions slow, she reached to grab her dagger, but he pressed his foot on her arm. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I’m not here to harm you, only to talk.”

“You’re stupid for comin’ ‘ere! I’m gonna gut you!” she yelled, her stupidity not allowing her to recognize real danger.

Gallus sighed, realizing he may have to kill the girl, but he hoped not. He quickly backed away and let her draw her dagger, his own in his hand held out. Out of his peripheral vision, he could see a couple of others slowly stir awake. 

“Look, I just want to talk. That is all. If you have a leader…”

“Leader? As if I’ll let you talk to ‘im,” she spat.

“I really don’t want to…”

His response cut short as she lunged at him while yelling for the others to get up and help her. “Get up, you louts! Need ‘elp ‘ere!”

Gallus dodged her attack effortlessly, as she almost stumbled face-first to the stone ground, using too much momentum in her attack.

“You’re never going to be able to defend yourself if you put too much power behind your attack. You aren’t wielding a sword. Using a dagger should be more graceful, fluid. A delicate balance between quick reflexes and…”

Before he could finish, she lunged at him once more, but again, he stepped aside, and she did fall that time. Screaming in anger, she struggled to get up. Once she did, she kicked one of the men still sleeping, more like passed out and finally stirred awake. The other two men were getting ready to defend her.

“I tried to warn you,” Gallas offered. “I can teach you if you just calmed down for a moment. Your anger is only going to get you killed one day.”

“The only one dyin’ is you!” she yelled.

Gallus soon found himself surrounded by four thieves; all had daggers drawn. Pulling out his other blade, he had the two ready. He was confident he could defeat them without killing them, but Gallus would if he had no other choice. 

He rolled into the melee, rolling upright he sliced the back of the knees of two men who instantly dropped the ground. Rolling once more, bouncing upright, the girl and another man came at him, death in their eyes. The three dodged, swiped, cut, danced, but the two thieves were no match for him. 

Kicking out, his foot landed on the man’s chest as he flung back, landing hard on the stone. Then grabbed the girl as she came at him, wrapping an arm tightly around her throat while disarming her, a dagger pointed at her head. “Now, if you would be so kind as to take me to whoever is in charge, I would greatly appreciate it,” he said, barely out of breath. 

The girl nodded quickly, and he let her go. She rubbed her throat though he didn’t hurt her, then surprise graced her face when she saw the stranger bend down and heal the wounds of the two he cut with glowing hands.

“Why are you ‘elpin,’ Mr.?” she asked. Usually, people would be more than happy to see the thieves die.

“This is what happens when one drinks too much—it clouds your judgment,” he sighed in irritation. “As I said, I am only here to talk. I have a...business deal if you will. I’m Gallus, what’s your name?”

“Helgi...Well, a’right then...follow me.”

Helgi led Gallus into a large cistern with flowing water. It smelled fresh there too. The place was perfect for a hideout and to establish a new Guild in Skyrim. The Ratway was disgusting enough to keep the riff-raff out, but the two areas with flowing water provided fresh water and clean air. 

“Well, where’s your leader?” Gallus asked, looking around and only seeing snoozing people on bedrolls and a child sitting in a chair behind a desk.

“You’re lookin’ at ‘im.”

“Who?”

“Over there…” the young woman nudged her head in the direction of the young boy.

“You have got to be kidding me? He leads you? A boy?”

“Aye, ‘e’s a smart lad...brings us jobs.”

It kept getting more interesting by the minute. “OK, then…” 

As Gallus approached, the boy, a smirk played on his lips wondering what could have put such a young thing in charge of a bunch of adult ruffians. 

He couldn’t have been older than nine or ten Winters, his flaming red hair looking like a Skeever’s nest, but the boy was entirely at ease. His feet were propped up on the desk, leaning back in his chair as he smoked a pipe, eyeing the stranger approaching him. His green eyes scrutinized the man before him, full of humor, though he wasn’t smiling. He looked older than his years, but a life on the streets will do that.

Gallus wasn’t having any of it. If he were going to be in charge of a new Thieves Guild, this child would not have a say.

“What can I…” the boys started to say before Gallus grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, roughly removing him from the chair. Anyone who was awake drew their knives, but Helgi yelled out for them to wait, having witnessed Gallus in action already.

Gallus effortlessly dumped the boy in the pool of water that centered the cistern, as he kicked and screamed. He walked back to the chair and propped up his feet on the desk as the red-headed child coughed and sputtered water, screaming incoherently at the man who just assaulted him.

“Calm down first, then we will have a nice conversation,” Gallus informed the boy.

“Fuck you!” the child screamed.

“Such language from such a young boy.”

Gallus knew he was not in danger of anyone attacking him as all the thieves watched what was going on, some sniggering in the background, and did nothing about it. Perhaps, they didn’t like being controlled by a mere child, after all. 

“Suck my…”

“That will be enough, young man,” Gallus interrupted before the kid could say anything else.

Gallus made his point and stood in the middle of the pool of water where a stone bridge crossed over, hands clasped behind his back, ready to give his little speech. 

“My name is Gallus Desidenius, and I am a thief, like you. Well, not like you, I’m nothing like you, but I am a thief from Cyrodiil. There, if you didn’t know, is the original Thieves Guild thriving for over 200 years. Now, I was never a part of this Guild because I am a leader, not a follower. I make my own way in this world. I am in control of my own destiny. 

There have been rumors of thieves cropping up right here in Riften, and that is why I’m here. What is being said is you don’t know your way around a lockpick. The word is, you can’t walk down the street and not get picked up by the guard. Rumors are spread that many of you cannot even do a simple pickpocket job without getting killed. Are those rumors true?”

The thieves, men, and women drew in close, instantly drawn to the handsome and charismatic man. Someone mumbled that it wasn’t true, but most of them concurred with what the man before them had to say. They had been failing miserably.

“Aye,” said the young woman who had tried to kill him earlier. “We live like the homeless, barely stealin’ enough to survive, and you people know it!” 

“Good, recognition is the first step towards change,” Gallus continued. “I’m here to do just that. Do you want to be rich?!”

“Aye...yes!” the group said.

“Do you want a place to hone your skills to become expert thieves?!”

“Yes...aye!”

“Do you want to be protected from the law?!”

“Aye!”

Gallus, arms still clasped behind his back, not ignorant to the death stares from the boy, started to pace back and forth on the small bridge. “Good! I am here to change your lives, but before you get too excited, I will only accept the best. And while we are thieves, there will be a code to live by. This code will not only ensure your safety but keep us flowing in gold. Is that understood?!”

“Yes! Aye!”

“Excellent! That is what I like to hear! First rule: There will be no murder unless there is absolutely no other way. If you get arrested, do not kill the guards. Go to jail, and we will find a way to get you out. If we kill our targets, we have nothing to steal from them. We will leave that up to the Dark Brotherhood. Second rule: We are a family. We do not abandon our own or steal from each other. I know you all have lived a life of survival, but we are stronger if we are together. Third rule: Whatever you earn, do not be stupid with it. Do not give away to the everyday person that you are a thief. Live comfortably, not as royalty. Fourth rule: You are not to touch the homeless or orphans any longer. They are some of the best people with rumors and information. Use them and pay them, do not bully them or steal from them. The better we treat them, the better our information. Last rule: You are to train and train hard. I will bring in archers, lockpickers, weapons smiths, and more to teach you all to be the best. If you cannot cut it, you are out. I expect no less.

“Yes, sir!” a few yelled out, eager for someone to finally take charge and give them a hope of success.

“Now, I know you don’t have a lot right now, and neither do I, but I promise you, Lady Luck is on our side. For now, I want us to pool all our resources to get this place in shape and fit for a proper and professional Thieves Guild. We are going to clean this place up, set up a tavern, training room, and I’m going to find a way to create a safe to store all our goods. While you all clean, I am going to arrange some help from a particular noble that I believe will be interested in our efforts. I am certain she will help protect us and finance us.”

As the crowd dispersed, all started to get to work to clean the place up, eager for a change, Gallus stepped off the bridge and eyed the boy. He was quiet, but pouting sitting on the edge, feet dangling in the water—a look of defeat on his face.

Gallus kneeled before the petulant child, smirking. He had a feeling the boy was indeed smart and useful. He wasn’t about to toss him aside. “What’s your name, son?”

“What’s it to you?”

“Well, as the new leader, I think I should know all my thieves.”

“I’m the leader…”

“Not anymore, son. I am sure my aspirations are greater than yours. What was your plan then? Have them do all the work as you reap the rewards?”

“Aye, what of it? I’m a thief, after all.”

“That you are,” Gallus chuckled. “For someone so young to get this riff-raff to follow you, says a lot. You must get some good information on the outside to pull this off. I bet with some training and a lot of education you could run this show yourself, but in a more profitable way.”

The boy looked up at the man, not quite as angry as before, hearing words that were more encouraging than insulting, despite the water dunk.

“I’m all wet,” the boy said, still pouting a bit.

“Yes, sorry about that. I had to make a show and use you as an example. If you can forgive me, I think you would make an excellent apprentice of mine with my help. I could make you one of the best if you accept my offer. Or you could just go on your way and do what you want, but I would prefer you to stick around, soothe the bruised ego and learn the tricks of the trade. I did quite well for myself in Cyrodiil, even without the Thieves Guild.”

“You think I could be good? I want to be the best!”

Gallus chuckled again at the child, “I bet that can be arranged, but it won’t be easy. It’s going to take a lot of work on your part, but I feel you are going to pick things up rather quickly.”

The boy nodded, looking at his reflection in the water, red and wet hair dripping down his face. “It’s Brynjolf,” he finally admitted.

“Nice to meet you, lad. We are going to do great things here.”

****

Later that day, Gallus had arranged a meeting with Maven Black-Briar for the next morning at the Bee and Barb. While that was out of the way, he spent the rest of the day getting to know all the thieves and hearing their hardships in life and how they ended up where they were. He knew some of them would get tired of his rules and move on, or others wouldn’t be able to handle the pressure of hard training, dwindling their numbers. That would allow him to hire better people, but for now, the only two he needed to find were for the Nightingales.

It was evening, and Gallus dragged the young Brynjolf with him to the Bee and Barb for some dinner. If the boy were going to be his apprentice, he would learn proper manners, so as he grew, he could handle nobility with ease. 

Brynolf looked up at Gallus in surprise at all the food before him. It was probably more food than he had seen in an entire week put together. He was spindly and could use a few extra pounds, but as a Nord, the boy would most likely grow up tall and broad.

“Tsk! No, Brynjolf. We do not shove food in our mouths like rooting animals. Pick up your fork and use it. You will take small bites and chew with your mouth closed,” Gallus instructed.

“Why?” the boy whined. 

“You will need to learn to eat like a proper gentleman if you want to learn how to mingle with the nobles. They are going to be our biggest source of income.”

Brynjolf nodded and took smaller bites despite how hungry he was. 

“That’s better. So, what’s your story, son, and wait until you have swallowed all your food before talking.”

Brynjolf shrugged, not wanting to tell his story. 

“If we are going to work together, we need to know and understand each other. I will tell you my story too if you want, but I must hear yours.”

“Fine… My Da left when I was just a wee bairn. I don’t even remember him. My Ma...” the boy couldn’t hide the sad look on his face, clearly not wanting to talk about his mother. 

“Go on; I am here to listen.”

“My Ma was murdered. She was working as a tavern wench tryin’ to make ends meet after Da abandoned us. I was at home, but I didn’t see it! He...he...stabbed her so many times! Blood was everywhere! She...she may have been a wench, but she...she loved me, always tryin’ to sneak me sweet rolls from the tavern…” Brynjolf soon found himself in tears, embarrassed that he was weeping in the middle of the tavern in front of his new leader. 

“It’s OK, son. I understand how that can be horrifying, and I can see how much you loved her. So, you ran away and came here?”

“No, I am from here. I...I have just been living on the streets since. I wanted to kill that man! He still sits in jail, and my Ma is dead! He deserves to die, and he will, by my hand!” 

Gallus sighed, seeing a new side to the boy. If he had not come along, perhaps the boy would have finally killed the man. Killing changes a person and not for the better. The lad would have ended up with the Dark Brotherhood. “I can understand your anger. Perhaps, when I meet with Maven, we can figure out what to do with this man. He deserves to be punished, but murder is not the way. Do you want to turn into the very person that took away your mother?”

Brynjolf looked at him in earnest, then, after a long pause, shook his head. 

“That’s what I like about you, Brynjolf. You’re a smart lad. We will make sure the man pays, but you will not do so by your hand. Revenge is never the answer. It will most certainly destroy any prospects of you being successful, understood?”

“Yes.”

"And no more smoking," Gallus ordered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Please share your thoughts.
> 
> Next: Nobles are a tricky business.


	3. Mingling with Nobles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a battle of control and will between Gallus and Maven, who he seeks out to help build the Thieves Guild. He uses his new-found status to get to know the nobles and Jarl Laila.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has NSFW content.
> 
> Some crappy fan art done by me. I tried to give him the appearance I envisioned Gallus, but meh, not quite. He's alright, but it gives you an idea.

Gallus’ meeting with Maven Black-Briar was just a few steps away from his rented room. Apparently, she kept a table in the alcove on the second floor of the inn, where she conducted her more shady meetings. 

He came out of his room, dressed immaculately in a long black coat trimmed in soft rabbit hair, matching breeches and fur-lined boots. Gallus had spent quite a bit on the outfit, but he wanted to convey deserved respect and intelligence. It was something hard to do when one was filthy or wearing old armor. He made sure he bathed and smelled that way.

Maven was sitting in a chair, a leg crossed over the other, swinging a slender foot as she read through her ledger. Her black hair looked soft and silky as it pooled around her shoulders and trailed down her back, her skin fair and smooth. When she looked up to see him approaching her, he would have called her beautiful, were it not for the harshness of her amber eyes, giving her the appearance of one who was cold and without feeling. She was still in her youth, but older than he was by at least a decade.

Maven was surprised to see that her appointment was so handsome, though her face conveyed nothing. Trained by her father in all things business, who wanted a son, Maven did her best to be all he expected her to be. She was intelligent, shrewd, and pushed aside emotions that would hinder her from her goals.

It wasn’t often to see a man with such thick curls in Skyrim, trailing down to his chin, figuring he was most likely Imperial with his tan skin and dark eyes. Not that his name wasn’t a dead giveaway. His jaw had a tasteful amount of whiskers that made him look older than he really was, most likely intentional.

Gallus, while still very young, had been on the streets long enough to learn to read faces of the people he met, and he was good at it. It was how he survived so well and was successful in what he did for a living. Typically, Gallus would have approached a beautiful woman, offering his hand to hers so he could gently press his lips to it as he bowed. He knew from looking at the woman before him that she would never tolerate such things, so he simply bowed respectfully.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Maven Black-Briar. I am Gallus Desidenius. I appreciate you taking the time to see me,” he said with as much sincerity as he could muster.

“Sit,” was all she said by way of a greeting, waving a hand to the chair across from her.

Gallus sat across from her, while formal, conveyed a relaxed demeanor. 

“What can I do for you,” she asked, going straight to business.

He had to be careful around her; he knew and chose his words carefully. “I am in need of a...business partner if you will…”

“I have no need for business partners,” she brushed him off, going back to her ledger, ending the conversation entirely. 

“I believe you would be interested in this type of business. It has come to my attention you have been seeking a way to bring the thieves of the city under your control…”

Maven narrowed her eyes at the man, scrutinizing him, wondering how he came about such knowledge as she didn’t tend to make it public. If he could obtain such information easily, perhaps he would be beneficial to her after all. “Merely rumor,” she interrupted.

Gallus gave her a slight smile, “I doubt that. You are very good at giving away nothing through your face, but I’m an expert at reading faces, and your face tells me otherwise.”

“Careful, Desidenius, you’re treading on dangerous territory.” 

“Of that, I have no doubt. But you see, I have now taken the thieves of the city under my wing, so to speak. I am in the process of organizing them to the level of the Thieves Guild in Cyrodiil. I am here to...offer our services in exchange for yours. I know you are rising to be a powerful and prominent woman in the city, and I would like to be right up there with you. My goals aren’t of a mere thief who is satisfied picking pockets. My aspirations are nearly as high as yours.”

Maven sat back in her chair, looking away from her ledger finally and eying the handsome young man before her. She thought about what he was offering her. She had wanted to control the thieves of the city to use as she saw fit to gain more power and wealth. She would use them for more than just thievery, but to undermine her enemies and competitors alike without having to resort to murder, though that was not beneath her either. If this man could open up those doors for her, he could be worth the investment.

“And what is it you would like in return,” she asked, already knowing the answer, but wanted him to say it.

“Protection and initial investment to get our location in order. Once we are fully set up, we can soon begin destroying your enemies, to put you quickly on top,” he offered. “With our help, we could make you the most powerful woman in the Rift, perhaps all of Skyrim.”

“You are a bit young to be making such claims, are you not?”

“I may be young, but I started this game a long time ago. I am well-versed in the ways of the wealthy and nobles. I am a man who makes his own way in life. I am a leader, not a piece of meat to be thrown to the wolves when one is tired of me.” Gallus leaned in close to her, to make sure she knew he was not afraid of her, she wouldn’t tolerate any less. “You and I will be partners, nothing more, nothing less. I am not to be ground under your boot like some insect. If you are to be partners with me, I will be your equal in every way. In return, your businesses will flourish in all of Skyrim.”

Maven put her hands together and gave a dramatic and slow clap at Gallus’ speech, a look of indifference on her face. “Oh, you are good. I can see how you quickly brought the thieves together. I bet they just drool every time you open your mouth, eager to do your bidding. Very well, we are agreed for now.” 

Maven tossed Gallus a large coin purse. “That should get you started. I will work on bribing the guards around town and keep the Jarl misinformed of the goings-on around her city. I expect you to provide me with all the information you are doing to make these parasite thieves professional and organized. In the meantime, you will attend the Jarl’s ball as my guest in two nights. I expect you to look your best and be on time. Arrive at my house no later than eight o’clock.”

“I will be there, my lady,” he agreed and stood, giving a slight bow.

“And Gallus? Don’t make me regret this.”

Gallus bowed once more and left to go change his clothes and head to the Ratway to give his thieves the excellent news.

Maven watched the young man walk away, a smirk playing on her lips, which wasn’t merely because she got the very thing she was seeking with the thieves. She had plans to drag him into her bed at least once. She wanted to feel that young man between her legs. Though she was married, her husband was rarely home, always away on travel, and her two mischievous boys perpetually gave her a headache. It would be a nice change to have some fun in the sheets with Gallus. 

****

“So, what did she say?” asked Brynjolf, unable to contain his excitement seeing a gleam in Gallus’ eyes.

“I’m afraid…” he said tauntingly, feigning disappointment. “...that Maven is now going to be our business partner.”

Gallus laughed at Brynjolf’s wide eyes as he caught the large coin purse. It was probably more gold than the boy had ever seen. “This much?” he asked in awe.

“Yes, that much and more to come, my boy. But that should be enough to get this place in order, get some real beds for you all, a training room, and more.”

Gallus was shocked to see the red-headed boy suddenly start crying, and he put a reassuring hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Why does this upset you, Bryn?”

The boy looked up, wiping away the tears and shrugged. “It’s...it’s just that this is the first time I felt...relief in a long time. I feel like maybe I might have a future after all.”

He smiled down at Brynjolf, understanding. “I know what that is like, lad. I was also on my own at a young age, which is why I probably relate to you so well. I will make sure you not only have a future but a prosperous one.”

The surprise was evident on Gallus’ face as Brynjolf hugged him. He wrapped his arms around the boy, returning the hug, and was glad to give this child a home. He knew well enough it was slightly dysfunctional for a child to grow up among thieves and become one himself, but it was better than the alternative. If Brynjolf had chosen the path of murder and revenge, he could have easily ended up dead or with the Dark Brotherhood. Gallus vowed to himself right then to protect the boy as long as he was alive.

****

It was the evening of the ball at the Jarl’s Mistveil Keep. Gallus looked forward to mingling with the nobles of the city, as well as Jarl Laila, he thought, as he walked towards Maven’s home. Edda had informed him earlier that day about the nobles of Riften, and it was especially interesting to find that Jarl Laila had no husband yet had children. Rumors were the two boys were bastards. He wondered if it was common for her to have sex with others, and if it was, he would jump on that opportunity. If he could get her in bed, he could possibly get her to look the other way if one of his thieves were caught.

Knocking on Maven’s door, a servant opened it and greeted Gallus, allowing him to enter. Gallus stood straight, hands clasped behind his back as he waited for the woman to come downstairs. He wasn’t surprised he was forced to be on time, but she would be late. It was typical of nobles to control others in any way they could, especially Maven.

“Can I get you a drink?” asked the female servant, eyes downcast in deference. 

Since he was forced to wait, he would drink up Maven’s more expensive alcohol. “Yes, Colovian Brandy, if you have it.”

Instead of standing in the entryway as he was supposed to, Gallus took a seat in her dining hall. He sipped on the brandy that was brought to him as he waited. He was going to maintain his own control and not let Maven ever get the upper hand on him. Allowing her to do so could be dangerous for him. It was these small passive-aggressive actions that allowed him to maintain that control without being overtly disrespectful.

Gallus was nearly done with his brandy when Maven finally walked into the dining hall. He had to admit, she looked stunning and well worth the wait, though her eyes were still hard. Her hair was up into a bun with strands of braids interwoven, gold earrings, and a necklace with amber that matched her eyes. Her dress was a dark blue trimmed in white rabbit fur.

He stood and bowed at her arrival, “You look beautiful, my lady.”

“Yes, you clean up nicely yourself, Gallus. Enjoying my brandy?”

“Yes, thank you for your hospitality.”

“Mmmhmm, shall we?” she asked, deciding to forgive his control tactics.

Gallus held out his elbow for her to take and guided her to Mistveil Keep. 

The Keep was crowded with nobles, more than Riften had, so many must have come from other towns as well, perhaps even from Windhelm. That would help stretch his sphere of influence, but one step at a time. It was good to have goals, but implementing too many at once, spreading himself too thin, would lead to failure. 

The Keep was filled with warm candlelight, a bounty of food and drink, and a band played beautiful music in the background.

The first thing Maven did was lead Gallus and introduce him to Jarl Laila. “My Jarl, I would like to introduce you to my newest associate, partner, if you will, Gallus Desidenius from Cyrodiil,” she introduced.

“It is a pleasure, Gallus,” the Jarl greeted as he bowed and gently grabbed fingertips, pressing them to his lips.

“The pleasure is mine, my lady,” he replied, giving her his most beatific smile, but he made sure his eyes conveyed lust. He knew his charms worked when he saw her try to mask her blush.

Jarl Laila was quite lovely, indeed. At least around Maven’s age, she was young, with braided dark red hair and deep blue eyes, a typical Nord woman, but a beautiful one. Yes, it would be fun to woo her into her bed-chamber.

He and Maven moved away to grab some drinks and mingle with the other nobles, letting others greet the Jarl. “I saw what you did there. You are quite the seducer, but before you let it go to your head, it doesn’t take much to get Jarl Laila to blush.”

Gallus smiled inwardly, leaned into Maven’s ear, and whispered, “I didn’t peg you for the jealous type, my lady. We wouldn’t want that, now would we?”

Maven scoffed at the very idea, but she couldn’t hide the slight quirk of a smile. “Is that an offer?” she asked, sipping her brandy.

“No, it’s a promise.”

“You really have no shame, Gallus.”

“Only around beautiful women...or men for that matter. I do have refined tastes despite being a common thief.”

“There is nothing common about you,” she retorted, not realizing she reacted precisely how he wanted her to. But Gallus wasn’t ignorant that if he wasn’t as attractive as he was, he would have had to find other means of obtaining wealth.

By the end of the evening, Maven ensured Gallus had met every noble that attended the ball and made an effort to ask a few women and a couple of men to dance. He gave the impression that he had been drinking a bit too much, though he was quite sober. Still, he did make sure to get some of the delicious food.

The Jarl could tell the young man was about to leave with Maven, wanting to talk to him, but not having the chance as she was forced to speak to everyone who attended her party. She whispered to her Steward, Anuriel, to bring the young man over to her before he left.

Laila watched him talk to Anuriel then look over in her direction. She couldn’t help but blush, but she was the Jarl, and she was going to get what she wanted. The Jarl smiled at him when he approached, bowing before her. He took her hand once more, kissing it, his eyes never leaving her, enjoying that he gave a couple of quick glances at her figure. His eyes were so dark and deep, like the Void itself. His eyes gave him an air of mystery, which intrigued her even more.

“Thank you for attending my little party, Gallus Desidenius. I do hope I will see you again. Sometime soon, perhaps?”

“It would be my utmost pleasure, my lady.”

“Wonderful. I would like you to share dinner with me tomorrow night, say, seven o’clock?”

“I am most honored, my Jarl. I will be there.”

“Excellent! Have a wonderful evening, Gallus,” she said as he bowed and left for the evening.

He walked Maven to her door, and before he had a chance to seduce her, she quickly pulled him inside her house. His eyes grew wide as she slammed his body against the door and pressed her lips to his, shoving a hand between his legs. She smiled in his mouth, feeling his hardness. It wasn’t that he didn’t enjoy her sudden sexual attention, but he knew if the tables didn’t turn soon, she would retain the upper hand over him. It was something he couldn’t allow, not with Maven.

“You have children, yes? Not here, my lady.”

Maven did her best to smooth her hair and compose herself. “This way…” she said as she walked off to head upstairs, Gallus following close behind.

Once they reached her room, clothes were properly and calmly removed, her mad rush to have him now slow and methodical. Gallus eyed her in her nakedness as she sauntered over to him, pressing her lips once more to his as he trailed hands along her smooth flesh. He had to admit he was surprised her body was as beautiful as it was after two children. 

There was something strange going on with his body, though. Before he was quick to get hard at her touch, now there was nothing. He cringed when she touched him between his legs, and he remained flaccid. That damned Nocturnal had messed up his body abusing it so and hoped he wouldn’t have the same problem with the Jarl. 

He wasn’t surprised to hear a laugh bubbling up from Maven. It wasn’t a humorous laugh or a delightful giggle. No, this was a laugh that told him he was beneath her, cruel. 

“Typical,” she said as her laughter died down and walked away. “It’s really too bad, Gallus. You have the looks, too bad you aren’t the whole package.”

Not to let her get the upper hand once more, he reached for her arm and roughly pulled her towards him, nearly nose to nose, and grabbed her hair from the back in a fist. “Someone more powerful than you did this to me, and I don’t regret a minute of it,” he hissed and firmly pressed his lips to hers. Yanking her, he forced her body on the bed, spread her legs and slowly ran a tongue through her folds, a secret smile graced his face hearing her hiss at his touch and run long, thin fingers through his curls. If he couldn’t fuck her, then he would get her off.

Her eyes glazed over when he was done with her. Three orgasms she wondered in awe from her sex-induced foggy brain. She didn’t know where a man so young learned how to pleasure a woman so well, but she wasn’t about to complain. 

As she was recovering from her orgasms, Gallus stood to get dressed to head home to the Ratway. “Let’s not make a habit out of this. It was my pleasure to please you, but we are still business partners.”

Maven laughed weakly at the man, watching him get dressed, sprawled unapologetically on the bed, still naked. “You can’t even get it up. Why would I want that?”

“I will again. It has been slightly...abused recently,” Gallus said indifferently. He knew she was trying to maintain control after what he just did to her, but she couldn’t pull it off. He sat on the edge of the bed and firmly grasped her face between his fingers, bent down, and forcefully kissed her tongue in her mouth. “I said, let’s not make a habit out of this, but I could please you again should you need it, and you will need it. When your husband comes home and fucks you, the only person you will see in front of your lovely face is me.”

With that, he left her speechless and headed back home to his new family, a small smile playing on his lips.

****

Mistveil Keep was strangely quiet after the party the night before. Everything had been cleaned up, erasing all evidence there had been any fun. He looked at the Jarl, and a smirk appeared on his face, ensuring she could see the lust in his eyes. Gallus knew what she wanted from him, but her long red hair down, draping in front of her and her relatively casual attire for a noble such as her, confirmed what he knew to be true. He had to work on getting himself hard earlier in the day, hoping he didn’t have the same problems with the Jarl as he did with Maven. It could possibly ruin any control over her if it did.

Jarl Laila sat on her throne, awaiting his arrival, watching him slowly walk up to her. He enjoyed watching his slow and purposeful movements, looking more mature than his years. She stood and walked down to greet him as if they were old friends and embraced the younger man. “My dear Gallus, it is a pleasure to see you again. I hope you enjoyed my little gathering last night. Did you sleep well?”

“I have to admit, my lady, I struggled with sleep with thoughts of… no, I cannot,” he said, feigning shyness and slight embarrassment.

Laila looked at him with concern on her face, “Oh, I hope something terrible didn’t happen to you. Do tell me! I will make it right!”

How different the Jarl was from Maven. The woman before him was much more susceptible to his manipulations and seductions. He found Maven much more interesting due to the challenging nature of their interaction, while Laila would prove to be quite dull. Gallus, though, had a feeling this woman was a wildcat in bed if he was reading her correctly. He would pour the charm on her, knowing he wasn’t at risk of her wanting him as a permanent fixture in the Keep. Word on the street was she refused to marry.

Gallus gave her a dramatic sigh and absentmindedly grabbed her hand, rubbing a gentle thumb over her fingers. “It is...embarrassing, my lady,” he said, unable to meet her eyes.

“Oh, Gallus, you must tell me! I cannot help if you remain so secretive!” she exclaimed, grasping his hand to pull him over to a cushioned bench to make him more comfortable.

He sat down and looked away from her, still holding her hand. “I...after you asked me to see you for dinner, I tossed and turned. I couldn’t...no…”

“Oh, please tell me!”

“You torture me so! Very well… All I could think about was you,” he admitted turning to face her once more. “When I first walked in a saw you last night… But look at me! I feel like a mere child in your presence!”

Jarl Laila, flustered a bit and blushed, but grabbed his hand tighter. “Oh, you are more of a man than most of the louts around here! I too… I could think of nothing else last night but of you,” she whispered almost conspiratorially to him. 

“You mean it?” he asked, facing her, showing her that he now felt braver around her knowing they shared the same feelings. “Do you really mean it?”

“I do. You are so handsome, Gallus. I...I want you in my bed chambers tonight. I...I was hoping at least,” she said, though she was facing him, her admission caused the redness in her face to deepen.

Gallus grabbed her hand and pressed her knuckles to his lips. “It would be my utmost pleasure to have you, my Jarl!”

Laila almost reached for him to kiss, but she held back. “Please, call me Laila when we are alone. Now, let’s have some dinner first!”

“Yes, my la...Laila.”

After dinner, which was a filling affair full of good food, they discretely headed to her bed-chamber. It was a good thing he trained regularly, or else these machinations would lead him to become fat with all the rich food. 

Gallus resumed the role of the shy noble and let Laila take control as she slowly undressed him. He stood before her naked while she still dressed as she raked fingers through his dark chest hair. He closed his eyes, enjoying her touches, thanking all the Gods he was able to get hard.

“Oh, you are...better than I imagined,” she whispered, looking down between his legs.

“Please do not make me stay here like this alone!” he exclaimed, pleased she giggled.

Maybe Jarl Laila wasn’t so dull after all, watching her go from a rather ineffective leader to a giggling young girl. Gallus wasn’t sure why he liked that about her. 

Laila held out her arms in invitation for him to come to her and undress her. He slowly approached her, chanting in his head to keep himself hard and turned her around to untie the bodice of her dress. He planted gentle kisses on her neck as he did so, Laila angling her neck so he could get a better reach.

Once she was undressed, all the subtlety and delicacy ended, and the wildcat began as she grabbed his face and forced her tongue in his mouth. When they came up for air, she pulled away with a mischievous smile on her face. “Spank me!” she demanded.

“Wha...what?” Gallus didn’t have to pretend to stammer, he was genuinely surprised. He knew she would be wild in bed, but had no idea the extent of it. It wasn’t the first time a woman wanted him to spank her, but from the Jarl, herself was a bit perplexing. 

“You heard me! I’ve been naughty...I’m a bad Jarl. But you have to catch me first!” she yelled out, giggling as she ran around her large bedroom on the other side of her bed. 

Gallus gave her a genuine laugh and started chasing her around her room. He could catch her easily enough, but that wasn’t part of the game. Finally, tired of running in circles, he quickly climbed on top of the bed and reached her, grabbed her, sat down, and threw her over his lap. Laila squealed in delight that he caught her, feigning fright that she was about to be punished as she kicked her legs out. 

He clasped her hands behind her back so she couldn’t escape and gave her a firm thwack on her bottom. She screamed a bit too loudly, and Gallus had to put a stop to that. “It will be harder if you scream again. You can moan, but no screaming,” he ordered.

Laila just nodded in response. “I can’t hear you…” he said.

“Yes…”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes, sir!”

He smacked her once more as she wiggled delightfully on top of him. Gallus had to admit, he wasn’t expecting to have this much fun. When they were done with their play, he made love to her, pleased that he was able to keep it up, that Nocturnal didn’t completely destroy his manhood.

They had fallen asleep later that night, but Gallus woke up, not wanting to stay the night, especially with the Jarl. He got up to get dressed, but she stirred awake. “Mmmm, do you have to leave?”

“I do, my lady,” he said. “I have a...family to return to.”

“Oh, you’re married then?” she asked, unable to mask her disappointment.

“I’m not married. I do have a young boy that I look after.”

“You are such a good man, Gallus!” She reached out to him so she could hug him. “Thank you for tonight. It was exactly what I needed. But alas, we can’t be a permanent couple. I hope you understand.”

Gallus pretended to be upset by this revelation. “It saddens me greatly, my lady, but I understand.”

“Tsk, I’m so sorry! But I hope we can do this again!”

“I hope so too! It would be my pleasure,” he said and was surprised he was honest.

Laila got out of bed and started digging in an ornate box on her dresser. She found what she was looking for, faced him, and held out her hand. “This is for you.”

“You do not need to give me anything, Laila. It was my pleasure to be with you tonight.”

“I insist. It is a gift and something to think of me when you are feeling lonely,” she explained, dropping it in his outstretched hand.

It was an amulet with sapphires and diamonds. Gallus was used to women and men giving him gifts, it was one of the reasons he did what he did, but usually, they weren’t as expensive compared to what the Jarl just handed him.

“I will treasure this with all my heart, Laila.”

“Goodnight, Gallus. Send word when you would like to join me in my chambers again.”

“That is a promise. Goodnight, my lady.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Let us know what you think!


	4. The New Recruit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We get to meet the man we have come to love to hate, the murderer and betrayer, Mercer Frey, but he's not yet the man we have come to hate. He is in his youth here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW Content
> 
> Thank you for reading! <3 We would love to know what you think.

Months had passed, and the new Thieves Guild of Riften was nearly complete thanks to Gallus' leadership and Maven's investment. Several of the original thieves left because they couldn't take the pressure or didn't have the intelligence to follow simple rules. Gallus was fine with that because he only wanted the best in his new family.

As it expanded its influence, more thieves sought out Gallus to be a part of the Guild. Two of which were the Mallory brothers, Bretons, Delvin being the older of the two. Delvin was a natural at being a thief who made connections with little effort, who had nearly as much charm as Gallus did despite his lack of education, quickly bringing in high-end jobs to the Guild. While good at what he did, Glover wasn't nearly as interested in being a thief as his brother but would follow Delvin's lead. Glover's interest was more geared towards blacksmithing, and he would periodically seek out the local blacksmith for training. Gallus was okay with that as long as the young man used his knowledge for the Guild in weapon repair.

"What do you have for me, Delvin?" Gallus asked as Delvin approached his leader, sitting behind the desk working on his ledger book.

The young man approached him, though he was older by a couple of years than Gallus. His dark hair closely cropped to his head. "I was inna 'ouse of some archeologist of some sort an’ I found dis," Glover explained in his strong Cockney accent.

"I hope you got more from that house than a book."

"Aye, o'course, who ya take me for? Anyways, dis book 'ere says somethin' 'bout some fancy eyes...jewels. Not just any jewels, but massive ones. Can you imagin' the gold for somethin' like these?"

"Is this just a legend, or is there some truth to it?" Gallus asked, suddenly intrigued.

"Dunno," Delvin shrugged.

Gallus quickly scanned the book, but it wasn't just a book. It was a book covered in notes written by the archeologist who took a keen interest in the Snow Elves, who were now corrupted Falmer dwelling in caves and ancient Dwemer ruins. Several sections had some writing in some unfamiliar language. It appeared the archeologist was trying to figure out where the eyes were located and didn't know how to translate the text. He found out the eyes were still intact on a giant statue of a Snow Elf somewhere hidden in the bowels of a Dwemer ruin, but that was as far as he got. The man didn't know which ruin it was located in or if it was even in Skyrim at all because the Dwemer had a presence in most of Tamriel.

"Oh, I bet he misses this book," Gallus exclaimed, chuckling.

"Aye, anyway thought ye might be interested innit," Delvin explained. "I 'ave sources that say that in the College of Winter’old is an elf who's interested in all things Falmer. Maybe he knows somethin' or 'as some book." Then he handed Gallus a scroll. "'Ere, this is a potential new noble connection in Windhelm who is lookin' for some regular dealin's with us."

Gallus read the scroll and put the book aside for now and would go back to it later, though the very idea of finding those gems was appealing, and he couldn't imagine the kind of wealth he could get from them. After he established a connection in Windhelm, he decided to travel to the College and see if there was anything worth stealing from elf mage regarding the language or the Eyes.

When Gallus was done with the paperwork, he set out finding Brynolf to see how he was doing in his training. Gallus had already taught the boy much, but he was getting more and more busy running the Guild and making connections throughout the country. Then there were the more delicate jobs from Maven he personally took care of. So he recruited several thieves to train the boy in sneaking, pickpocketing, combat, lock picking, reading, writing, and more. He was going to make sure Brynjolf was going to be one of the best thieves out there. 

As promised to the boy, Gallus used his connection with Jarl Laila to finally have the jailed man who killed Brynjolf's mother put to death in a public execution. He wasn't going to bring the boy thief to the execution, but Brynjolf insisted on attending. He wanted to see the man die with his own eyes to give him some sort of closure for his mother's death, so Gallus brought him, surprised the boy didn't look away or vomit from the beheading. "It's done then," was all the boy said and walked away.

Eastmarch Hold was so vastly different from the Rift with its cold stone and bubbling hot waters with very little vegetation. The surrounding areas were livable, but for the main part, it was inhospitable. Gallus didn't envy the Jarl having such lands to maintain and the snowy, cold, and desolate city of Windhelm. The town was teeming with crime due to all the refugees coming from Morrowind. It was a perfect opportunity for Gallus and the Thieves Guild to establish a foothold in the city. 

Gallus had to walk his new horse, Lucky Lady, a nod to Nocturnal, through the bubbling hot springs and rocky terrain to protect the mare's legs. Lucky was a gift from Maven so Gallus could conduct his business faster for her, not out of some sort of kindness on her part. The land was cold and quiet as he carefully led the horse through the area. He could have taken the road, but he didn't want his presence known. The more organized and influential he became, the more his enemies grew. It was best to stay off the roads, so when he saw someone, he knew they were not trustworthy.

The evening was quickly approaching as the sky darkened. Gallus had hoped he wouldn't have to make camp in the area, but at least it wasn't thick with snow. Gallus walked a bit further until he could find a good location to make camp. 

Not a sound was made or a presence given when Gallus suddenly felt a knife blade at his back and arm wrapped around his throat. "Give me all your gold, nice and easy, and I just may let you live," hissed the voice in his ear.

Instead of berating himself for not noticing the thief, Gallus forced his body to go limp and elbowed the man in the balls, who instinctively let him go and dropped the knife as the thief crumpled to the ground, both hands in protection of his most sacred parts.

"Fuckfuckfuckfuckfuck," the thief gasped over and over. He had not expected the noble to be so quick and agile, able to escape his chokehold.

Gallus kneeled down in front of the thief, chucking at his impotence. "Serves you right. Mistake number one was not paying attention closely to your mark, reading him before trying to steal. Though I have to admit, you are fantastic at sneaking. I did not hear you coming at all when I should have. That's on me."

"Who...the...fuck are...you?" he asked, sputtering for air, trying not to vomit, but slowly starting to recover. 

"Perhaps I should be the one asking questions since it was I you were trying to rob."

"Hey, just trying to...make a living."

"I can understand that, but as I said, you should have researched your mark a bit better," Gallus instructed. He stood up and offered his hand to the fallen thief who reluctantly grabbed it as Gallus pulled him up to stand.

The thief was a bit shorter than Gallus, but that was all he could tell since his head was covered in a hood and his face in a mask covering his nose and mouth.

"Feel better?"

The thief nodded, "Yeah, so why aren't I dead then?"

"Luck is a funny thing. It can bring the lowliest person up to riches and bring the most powerful man to his knees. It just so happened you just tried to rob the leader of the Thieves Guild of Riften."

"Horker shit! I make my own luck! I'm in charge of my life!"

Gallus didn't take offense to the man's outburst. "Yes, that's what Lady Luck wants you to believe. She is the one who determines how much luck we received and how much she takes away. Nocturnal rewards those who are daring and excel at what they do. If you cross her, you will be subjected to her wrath until you fix things."

"Nocturnal, my ass," he spat.

"Well, you don't have to believe. Trust me, she doesn't care. As I said, I'm the leader of the Thieves Guild. I'm very interested in you, though. I'm always looking for good thieves who excel at what they do. You failed in a few things, but your sneaking is remarkable. We could use someone like you. We offer a place to live, food, plenty of work, and training. All you have to do is bring in the gold. Would something like that interest you?"

The thief eyed the Imperial warily. He wasn't sure if the man was conning him or not, but it wasn't as if he had anywhere else to go if he was truthful. 

"I can see in your nearly hidden eyes that you do not trust me. That is good. You should never trust anyone outright, but if you join us, the Thieves Guild is a family, and we watch each other's backs. I will not tolerate rogue behavior," Gallus explained further.

"How much do I get to keep what I steal?" the thief asked.

"How does eighty percent sound to you? You donate twenty percent of all that you steal back into the Guild to keep it alive, full of food, drink, and training, and you keep the rest. Those are the jobs you find on your own. Any other jobs we give you, you get half of what you earn. On top of everything else, you have protection from an investor. I also have connections with the Jarl in Riften to utilize whenever I need help with the law should you have the misfortune of being arrested."

Gallus could tell the man was thinking about it. He really wanted this man to join them because he wasn't lying about his ability to sneak. If Gallus couldn't hear him, then no one could. He could train other recruits.

"Deal," the thief said, after a few minutes of contemplation.

"Excellent! Welcome to the Thieves Guild…uhm…"

"Mercer Frey," he said, reaching for Gallus' outstretched hand to shake it.

"I am Gallus Desidenius, as I said, leader of the Thieves Guild...a pleasure Mercer. Now, you have another choice to make. You can either head to Riften, and you will find us located in the Ratway. Trust me when I tell you it is better than it sounds. Or you can join me. I'm on my way to Windhelm to establish some connections with a noble there who is looking for our help. Then I am headed to Winterhold for some information about a special treasure I have read about."

"Treasure, huh? That could prove interesting. Why not. I got nothing better to do."

It was late evening when Gallus and Mercer reached Windhelm and made their way to Candlehearth Hall for some late dinner and sleep. 

"Gods, I hate this place," Mercer said, sipping on a mead. 

"Why's that? Yes, it's cold and not the more beautiful of cities, but it's riddled with crime and full of nobles who are more or less corrupt. We could have a strong foothold here. This place could give us a vast amount of wealth." 

Gallus watched the Breton man scope the inn suspiciously with ice blue eyes, always ready for the unexpected, not much older than Gallus himself. His hair was medium length and a mousy brown. He wasn't the most handsome man he had ever seen, but those eyes had Gallus enthralled.

"I s'pose."

"You have to think big, Mercer, if you want to get rich in this business. What's your story anyway, if you don't mind me asking?"

Mercer didn't like telling his story, still very bitter, but he had enough mead that he was loose and this Gallus was easy to talk to. He wasn't surprised the Imperial was a leader.

"It's a painful one," he finally said.

"Aren't they always? What is your painful story? I really want to know."

"It all started with having a bastard for a father…"

Gallus chuckled, "Doesn't it always?"

Mercer laughed too, feeling more at ease around the man, "I guess it does. Believe it or not, I came from a noble family. We were rich...really rich. My asshole father got it in his head, he needed more of it, so instead of working harder, he squandered all our wealth away in debt and gambling. He owed some serious people, and when he couldn't pay up, they killed him to make him an example in front of my mother, older sister, and me. Ma was forced to clean up his blood off the floors, then they stole all our belongings and kicked us out on the street."

He took a bitter drink, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and continued, "Ma ended up selling herself to make ends meet since she was completely useless to do anything else. Apparently, fucking was the only thing she could do. She brought home the wrong guy one night, and he ended up raping her and my sister, then killing them. I got out in time before he killed me too. I've been on my own since I was twelve and teaching myself to survive by any means."

Gallus placed his hand on top of Mercer's for comfort. "Shor's bones! I can see why you are so bitter. I knew when I saw you, I saw a survivor. With a little guidance, you could be one of the greats, Mercer."

Mercer looked at the hand on top of his and felt a slight electric sensation course through him, but it wasn't from any magic spell. No, that was all Gallus and his charismatic charm. The man was too good looking as well. Mercer was sure he had no trouble finding plenty of women to be with.

Mercer chugged down the rest of his mead, wiping his mouth once more, and boldly leaned forward, pressing his lips to Gallus'. 

Gallus could read people well, but that he did not expect, eyes wide to the kiss. It was sloppy, and he assumed the young man had little experience in such things. Gallus had no problems in guiding him if that was what he wished. Gallus trained himself in the ways of lovemaking at a Dibellan temple when he was younger so he could use it to his advantage.

Mercer pulled away and didn't look uncomfortable or flustered at all, as if they had been kissing for years despite his inexperience. He leaned back, ordered another mead, not taking his eyes off of Gallus. "What are the rules with fucking the leader of the Thieves Guild?"

Coughing and choking could be heard coming from Gallus as he took a sip of his ale when Mercer spoke up. "Uhm...well, I don't have a rule per se; I just that I don't do relationships or marriage. I don't want to be tied down and forced to give up what I love to do."

"Fair enough...you ever sleep with men?"

"I have. Is that what you like, Mercer? Men?"

Mercer shrugged. "I don't know what I like. I haven't been with either. All I know is I want to sleep with you."

"Sounds like the alcohol is talking. It's not good to drink too much as it can lead to mistakes and impair judgment."

"Two days with you, and you are perpetually the teacher quickly ready to scold his student."

Gallus leaned in to kiss Mercer in return. "Always, even in the art of lovemaking. Would you like to learn a few things? Is that what you want? I use the Dibellan arts to my advantage. It has helped me get to where I am. That and learning to quickly read people."

They were nose and nose still as if daring each other to back away but neither refusing to give in. "What do you read in me, Gallus?"

"That you are troubled by your past, have issues with women because of your mother, you don't trust easily, that you are looking for a place to belong, and you're a survivor. You're rough around the edges, but that can be refined easily enough."

"When does my lesson begin?"

"It never stopped."

They each had their own room, but Gallus brought them to his room after making sure they both bathed. He was going to give Mercer his first lesson into lovemaking. Since it was his first time, he would make sure the man enjoyed it as well.

"No, we don't rip off our own clothes unless the situation calls for it. You will eventually learn to read your partner. Are they passionate and hurried? Are they methodical or playful? All these will be your tools to be the perfect sexual partner for them," Gallus instructed. "Come, I want you to remove my clothes, but slowly. Let's say we are intimate lovers, well versed in each other's needs."

Mercer did as he was told and slowly removed Gallus tunic. He had never had a lover before, and while he wasn't nervous with the kiss, he suddenly found himself floundering with nerves. With sweaty and shaking hands, he combed Gallus' chest hair with long fingers. "Yes, I like that... that's good," Gallus said in encouragement.

After all their clothes were removed, Gallus pulled Mercer in for a long kiss as their tongues explored, hands gliding on flesh.

Gallus pulled away from the other thief. "Did you like that? Some slow kissing, touching, and intimacy is a good start. We don't want to rush straight into the sex unless the scene requires it. Some lovers just cannot wait. Next is the foreplay. Do you know what foreplay is?"

"I think so...like sucking dicks and such?"

"Well, yes, that's a crude way of it, but let's try to talk a bit more refined than that. When you are making love, try to remember your noble upbringing. I know it was a while ago, but I'm sure you can remember. It will be a useful tool. Try to use your words with touch."

Gallus inched close to Mercer's ear, grazing a hand along his thighs close to his hardness, but not touching it. "Do you like that? Would you like me to wrap my mouth around you? Lick you?"

Mercer swallowed and closed his eyes as he nodded he would indeed like that. 

"Sit on the edge of the bed," Gallus ordered. When Mercer was sitting, Gallus spread his knees slowly apart, never taking his eyes off of the Breton, and sat on his knees between them. "For a man, I like to excite you and bring you close, but not to finish you. That comes later. A woman can have multiple orgasms, so I will finish her then make love to her. Do you want to learn to make love to a woman too?"

Mercer just shook his head, his only thought was seeing Gallus between his legs, his heart pumping too fast it almost hurt in anticipation.

"Very well. When you are with a man like this, tease him for a bit. Here, like this…"

Gallus pressed soft kisses on Mercer's thighs while his hands sought out flesh, periodically running a tongue near his hardness, but not quite touching it. He smiled inwardly when he heard Mercer moan. Gallus didn't want to tease or pleasure the man too long as he would probably orgasm quickly.

Mercer hissed when Gallus firmly grabbed him, but not enough to hurt, and ran his tongue over his long shaft, halting ever slightly over the tip and back down again. He hadn't even had an orgasm yet, and it was better than he could have imagined. It was certainly better than his hand. 

Gallus pulled away for a moment to check on Mercer. "Is this what you wanted?"

Mercer could barely utter a word and just nodded his response.

"I'm going to put you in my mouth now. Run your hands through my hair if you wish. You don't have to sit idly by. You can touch me."

A loud moan escaped Mercer's throat as he grasped the thick curls between his legs as Gallus sucked on him, and oh that tongue. He was trying to focus on all that Gallus was doing to him to remember, hoping he could try it on, Gallus.

"As I said, I don't want to finish you," he said as he stood and sat on the bed himself. "Come, you try it. Let's see if you've been paying attention."

Mercer took Gallus in his mouth and tried to replicate all that Gallus had done to him. He enjoyed giving almost nearly as much as getting. He made some mistakes, but Gallus was a patient teacher. When they were done with the foreplay, Gallus went on to teach him about having sex with a man and how to ready him for intimacy with an oil that was his own recipe.

Gallus let Mercer take the lead and penetrate him, next time he would reverse things and show the thief what it felt like to be penetrated. As predicted, the man orgasmed quickly and looked apologetically at Gallus, who didn't give him anything other than a reassuring smile. 

"I know it was a lesson, but I hope you enjoyed yourself too, Mercer."

"I did...I liked it a lot," he said, almost shyly.

"We will practice more another time if you wish."

Gallus gave Mercer a peck on the cheek now that they were done, and sent the man back to his own room. Tomorrow they would meet with the noble, which will be another good lesson for Mercer and move on to Winterhold.

Gallus successfully procured the noble in Windhelm as the two men rode on Lucky toward Winterhold as Gallus went over everything from their meeting to Mercer, though the thief was there as well. He wanted to make sure Mercer understood all the in's and out's of what happened and how to achieve success and why it was beneficial to have the noble wealthy on the side of the Thieves Guild.

"I guess I can understand that," Mercer said when Gallus stopped talking. "I have been on my own for so long now, it's going to be strange to do things so differently and have...a family of sorts."

"Indeed. I was alone for a very long time myself. I taught myself everything I know, like you, so I would never be beholden to another. My parents died when I was very young and forced to live with relatives who couldn't care less about me, so I just left when I was old enough to figure out I could live better on my own."

When they arrived in Winterhold a couple of days later, Gallus rented them a room at The Frozen Hearth. Sitting down with drinks and food, Gallus informed him that he would leave late in the evening and sneak into the College.

"Why can't I go with you? Or do it myself even? I'm good at sneaking, you said so yourself," Mercer complained, not wanting to be left behind.

"I know I did, and you are, but breaking into the College is serious business. I would rather take the fall for that one if I'm caught because I can talk myself out of it. It will be more difficult to get you out if you're caught. Please, just stay here tonight, and I will be back in the morning. Besides, there is something specific I'm looking for, and only I will recognize it when I see it."

"It's going to be boring without you," Mercer said, still pouting.

Gallus smiled and slid the man a small bag of gold. "Take this, go to the shop, get some drinks, buy a book."

When it was past midnight, Gallus threw on his Nightingale armor. He would need the extra protection to hide from the mages at the CollegeCollege. Many were powerful spell casters, and he could easily be caught and killed. 

He had examined the map Delvin made earlier that day to figure out exactly where he needed to go without wasting valuable time trying to find the laboratory.

Fortunately, the College had very few guards, and most of the students were asleep, though he knew some would most likely stay up researching. Quietly he entered the building on the right, keeping to the shadows. Every once in a while, a candle would blow out, and he would smile, knowing Lady Luck was there with him. 

Climbing the circular stairs, he came to a wooden door on the top floor. Checking to see if it was unlocked, it was not, so he kneeled and pulled out a set of lockpicks. Gallus had the door clicked open in less than a minute and quietly entered the laboratory, shutting the door behind him.

The room was large and in disarray as if someone was recently conducting experiments and didn't bother to tidy up. He risked lighting a candle, needing to see so he could find the book he was looking for. 

Cursing under his breath at the number of books scattered about the laboratory and stacked on shelves. It would take him a long time to search through each one, but there was no turning back now. 

The room was suddenly cast an eerie orange glow as if all the candles in the room were lit, and he heard someone behind him.

"Well, well, well, thief! Turn around slowly, or else I will burn you to a crisp," said the unknown voice.

Gallus raised his hands and slowly turned around to see a Bosmer before him in mage's robes, both hands alight with fire. Before Gallus could talk his way out of it, the elf suddenly stopped casting his spells and looked at the thief before him in wonder. "I know that symbol on your armor! You're a Nightingale! You must have known Dralsi! So sad, she died. We were great friends."

"Friends with Dralsi? I never knew her. I'm the newest member of the Nightingales, but I have been tasked to find Karliah, her daughter, and bring her into the family."

"Karliah! That's someone I have not seen in ages. Brilliant thief!"

"I'm Gallus, by the way, Nightingale and leader of the new Thieves Guild in Riften."

"Gallus! Well, I have heard of you, but you're the last person I would have expected to break into my laboratory. I'm Enthir, and while I waste away my days here at the college reading and working on experiments, I'm also a fence for Karliah. There's no one I trust more."

"Can you tell me where to find her? I have been wracking my brain on how to do so. This is a personal request of Nocturnal herself."

"I wish I could help. I haven't seen that lovely Dunmer in years. She certainly won't be found if she doesn't want to be."

Gallus cursed, facing another dead end in regards to Karliah. He still had to find a third recruit for the Nightingales.

Gallus and Enthir talked for hours talking about Karliah, her mother, the Nightingales, and most of the Falmer. Enthir gave Gallus several books on the Falmer, and one on their language so he could figure out how to find the Eyes of Falmer. Then he returned to Mercer and home to Riften, where he would prepare for another trip to Solitude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, I went there...Mercer and Gallus :).
> 
> Next: Karliah


	5. Thieving Thieves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gallus has found trouble or has trouble found him in the name of Karliah.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading and would love to know your thoughts so far. There isn't a whole lot of information out there on how Gallus and Karliah met, so of course, I just made up whatever I felt like <3.

Gallus loved Solitude. If he had a choice to live in any city, it would be there. The city was undoubtedly the wealthiest thanks to the fact that the High King and Queen lived in the palace. Then there was the major shipping port that produced trade throughout all of Tamriel.

The day was warming up, so Gallus removed his coat, draping it over an arm as he casually walked about the town. There was a job for him later that night, but it was midday, and he had plenty of time to enjoy the sites, possibly do some shopping—not all thieves steal everything—perhaps some new noble clothes.

Some celebration must be coming up as flowers were being put in pots, colorful banners were strung between buildings. Gallus would have loved to stay for it, but he had a job to do and then head back home to the Rift. One thing he wanted to do first was to go to the bookstore there. Grabbing a sweet roll from a street vendor, Gallus made his way towards the bookstore. Maybe he would be lucky and find more information on the Falmer or the jeweled Eyes.

Gallus was starting to become obsessed with the idea of finding such large gemstones, so much so, that if he located them, he would sell one, but keep the other as a reminder of all his efforts. He was intelligent enough to know that he may never find them, but that didn't stop him from researching for any scrap of paper he could find. If anything, it became an interesting hobby. Learning a new language was not an easy thing to achieve, especially an ancient one.

The Altmer was putting away some books when Gallus walked in and approached him. "Excuse me. I wonder if you could help me. I'm looking for some books."

The elf turned around, the pompous look on his face as Altmer were prone to do. "What kind of books? Can you be any less specific? I mean, this _is_ a bookstore."

Gallus bit his tongue to keep from snapping at the mer. "Yes, specifically, I'm looking for really anything pertaining to the Falmer."

The elf scrunched his nose in distaste. "As if I would have books on those foul beasts," he said and went back to his duties of organizing books.

"Well, it would be before they became the creatures they are now, Snow Elves, to be exact."

"You could have said so in the first place," he said, not masking his annoyance. "Yes, I have one book. There isn't much out there on them as no one really knows about them."

Gallus decided to give the elf a taste of his own medicine but in a more subtle way. "Don't you Altmer live a very long time? Surely someone among your people would have records of these elves. I thought you all kept immaculate records of all the people and creatures in Tamriel."

"No need to be rude. I'm sure there are more out there, I just don't have them," the elf explained while looking through some books on another shelf.

"Right…"

"Here we are," he said, handing the book to Gallus.

" _The Fall of the Snow Prince_ ," Gallus recited and skimmed through the book. It wasn't exactly what he was looking for, but sometimes these stories contain hints. If he read it thoroughly, perhaps there would be clues, but he doubted it. "I'll take it." It would be an interesting read regardless.

After making several purchases, he headed to the Winking Skeever for some dinner and to rent a room for the evening. 

It was midnight as he donned his Thieves Guild leather armor. Thanks to all the money quickly coming into the Guild, he was able to have proper gear made for all the thieves. He thought about wearing his Nightingale armor, but he didn't want to explain it if he were caught. It was really something he needed to save for moments of dire need. 

He put on his linen mask, pulled up his hood, and opened the window, he looked out to make sure no guards were walking near or no bystanders lurking. When the coast was clear, he climbed out the window and dropped several feet to the ground, rolling silently to break the fall. Pressing his body up against the building, he looked around to ensure it was still clear. 

The crowded streets, the Imperial army stationed there, and the slew of guards was the reason that thieves were frequently caught in Solitude. He already had to work out costly deals to set free two of his thieves that had been captured and jailed. Because of that, now only Gallus did the Solitude jobs. He may send out Mercer from time to time when the Breton man was fully trained.

He clung to the shadows, feeling Nocturnal with him as he made his way to the mansion. There was word that an unusual gem was located there, a Stone of Barenziah to be more specific. The Thieves Guild had been hunting these gems for nearly two centuries, with only a few turning up, so Gallus took it upon himself to retrieve this particular gem, not wanting to risk losing it to a thief less prepared. The rumor was a man living in a house was having the gem appraised in Solitude, so  
Gallus was there to verify its existence and retrieve it.

The Crown of Barenziah was stolen centuries ago, the gems pried off and scattered throughout Skyrim. Gallus didn't know how much truth was behind the stories, but there was more evidence of the gems themselves, so he was willing to risk this adventure to steal it. 

Covered in shadows, he squatted down in front of the locked door and pulled his lockpicking tools. Locked doors were nothing to him as he quickly opened it and silently entered. Slowly and methodically, he promptly searched each room. From his experience, valuables like a priceless gem would be locked away in a safe. The safe was what he was looking for exactly as he went room to room. 

Gallus stopped in his tracks as he entered an office, and there before him was another thief digging in the safe, already opened before them— _Oh, no, they don't_. Gallus was not going to let the other thief get away with his gem, wondering who they were, but knowing they were not part of his Guild, not recognizing the armor. 

The thief had yet to notice him, face hidden away in the safe when Gallus grabbed them from behind, throwing them on the bed, and off of the gem, but not wanting to injure them. He soon realized he was dealing with a woman based on her stature and build. While the thief was recovering from her shock, Gallus dove in the safe to remove all the contents, not wasting time searching. He had to get out of there quickly.

Gallus felt a body leap onto his back as he was digging in the safe and put him into a chokehold, legs wrapped around his stomach. She was surprisingly strong for her small stature, and he struggled to get her off, finally slamming her back against the wall. He could hear the wind knocked out of her, but she didn't ease her hold. Crushing her once more, he could feel her finally loosen around his neck as he pried her arms off.

Gallus jumped away from her, ready to fight, but before he could do anything, the woman quickly recovered and spun a kick to his head, nearly knocking him out. Shaking the stars out of his eyes, he body-slammed her, not wanting to physically hit her.

Unbeknownst to the two thieves, the owners had heard the commotion and called the guards. They heard them coming up the stairs, and the two had to make a quick decision. 

"Clean out the safe and come with me," Gallus whispered loudly. "Trust me…"

He could see her hesitate too long. "Get the damned items and come with me. Let's escape, and we can talk about things after. Come on, through the window. We can dive down into the water below. I have already scoped out the area. It's safe!" he explained as quickly as he could.

The thief grabbed the contents of the safe, crammed them into her bag as the two lept out the window into the cold waters.

Gallus broke the surface of the freezing water, sputtering, and the shock of the cold nearly broke him. He looked around for the other thief, but she was nowhere to be seen. There was no way she could have already made it to shore, and Gallus worried she was drowning as he dove into the water. He cast a healing spell to give some sort of light in the murky water, and there she was. He grabbed her and pulled her to the surface, swimming to shore with the thief in tow.

Once he reached shore, Gallus lifted her and carried her near the docks. He had to get back to the Winking Skeever before they both froze to death, but he would have to be extra careful between the torches and guards all over the place. He figured they would be on high alert after the theft of a noble.

Tucked in the shadows, he laid her down, removing her hood and mask to find a beautiful Dunmer woman out cold. He patted her cheeks awake, but she didn't stir, and he hoped she didn't hit her head on a rock from their dive into the water. He ran a healing hand through her dark hair to see if he could find a wound, and sure enough, there was a large lump. Casting a healing spell on her head, he felt the swelling go down, and she soon started to wake up.

As soon as her vision cleared, she could see a handsome young man covered in wet, dark curls dripping down his face. The thief quickly scrambled from him and tried to escape, but he grabbed her and pulled her back. 

"Stop!" he hissed quietly. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just saved you, as a matter of fact. You hit your head pretty hard, and it knocked you out. Just settle down, please. We need to get to the inn so we can dry off and get warm. We will freeze out here. I have a room, but we have to be careful about getting back in. Do you have regular clothes under that armor?"

The Dunmer woman paused for a bit mulling over what he was saying then nodded, still not saying anything.

"Good, we will take off our armor and toss it into the water below. We will walk back in our wet clothes pretending we are drunk and fell into the ocean, laughing. If we put on a good enough show, we can get back to the tavern."

She nodded and started to remove her armor, tossed it into the water, and grabbed her bag tightly to her chest so the man couldn't get to it.

"Now, ditch all the contents you stole into the water in case the guards search you, and shove that gem into your boot."

"Why aren't you trying to take it from me?" she finally asked, her voice as soft as a whisper had a slight lilt to it. It was quite pleasing to listen to.

"Oh, I want that gem, but I want you too... and don't look at me like that. This isn't sexual, this is business. Now, let's go. Put your arm around me, and I will put my arm around your shoulder as we wobble up the steps and back into Solitude."

The two stumbled their way to the front gate of Solitude, shivering from the cold, expecting the doors to be locked and guarded at this late hour. 

"Halt! Stop right there!" demanded one of the guards.

"Wha's goin' on," Gallus slurred and wobbled.

"There has been a theft, and we are to be on the watch for two thieves, and here you two are, dripping wet no less."

The Dunmer snorted a laugh and started to giggle as if the guard had told her the funniest joke. "We fell inso sa watah," she explained, laughing so hard she nearly fell and almost brought Gallus down with her.

The guard eyed them suspiciously, not quite believing as the thieves jumped into the water to escape. But he also had doubts since he couldn't understand why the thieves would be stupid enough to walk through the front gate, but orders were orders.

"Open up your bag, then we will see if you're telling the truth."

"S'my bag," she shooed the guard away with her hand.

"Ma'am, give me the bag, or you will be arrested. It's as simple as that."

"Ffffiiine!" she yelled and threw the bag at the man who fumbled it and managed to catch it. Opening it, he could find no evidence of theft in the bag, then he did a quick search of the two drunks. Satisfied that they were clean, he let them on through watching them hobble back to the tavern.

The two walked into the tavern, finding it empty, everyone in bed, and told the thief to sit while he rummaged around getting them some bread, cheese, and mead. Gallus was hungry after that adrenaline rush. He then stoked the dwindling fire as they both sat and ate to warm up. 

"I'm Gallus Desidenius, by the way, Guild Leader of the Thieves Guild in Riften. We could use thieves like you. I had no idea you were there when I arrived, covering your tracks thoroughly. Oh, and the way you fight was marvelous! I still hurt!" he exclaimed, rubbing his jaw to prove the point. "That's going to bruise." He ran a healing hand on his face to clear up any damage.

The woman nibbled on some cheese and eyed the man suspiciously. She had been a thief for a long time and didn't really need a Guild to get ahead. She wondered if he was just using her to get to the stone.

"Well, aren't you going to say anything?"

"I'm still debating on how much to trust you. I do not need your Guild."

"Perhaps...perhaps not. The Guild could use you, though. There could be a lot of money in it for you."

"I have been on my own for a long time now."

"I can tell. You are well-trained. Who trained you if you don't mind me asking."

"My mother."

_Mother_ —a flash of memory talking to Nocturnal how Karliah's mother was a Nightingale. He didn't know the race of either woman, but it fit with how good a thief this woman was before him. His stomach fluttered in excitement, wondering if he finally found Karliah after all this time. Nocturnal would be most pleased. 

"You... wouldn't happen to be Karliah, would you?"

The Dunmer's unusual purple eyes flashed warily, and he knew he had the woman he was seeking. She stood up abruptly to leave before he grabbed her. "Wait! Nocturnal is looking for you," he said quickly before she could flee and leave with the gem.

She stopped and looked at him in shock. "Why would Nocturnal be...looking for this woman?"

"She told me she needed you...her. That your mother was part of the Nightingales, and she needs new champions to protect the Twilight Sepulchre."

"How would you, a mere thief, know of such things?"

Gallus eyes narrowed at her, but brushed off the sting, "I'm no mere thief, and Nocturnal knows that. I am a part of the Nightingales myself. I joined about eight months ago, and while I was establishing the Guild in Riften, I have spent countless days trying to track you down. You are excellent at not being found. It was purely...luck that I found you. Now I wonder how much Nocturnal intervened in our little meeting."

The woman sat back down, but no longer with reluctance, seeing the truth in his dark eyes. If Nocturnal needed her, then she would obey. Her mother trained her for this, instructed her to take her place as a Nightingale. Karliah had left on her own when her mother was killed, grieving.

"She needs me?"

"Yes, she asked for you specifically."

"I supposed if Nocturnal needs me, then I should be there. I have avoided the temple after my mother was killed, missing her. Yes...yes, I'm Karliah."

"I can't tell you how relieved I am to find you! I have been searching and searching, afraid I would anger Nocturnal if I couldn't deliver you to her. I still have to find a third, and I may have found him, but he's not ready yet."

"How did you become a Nightingale? I have been training for it my whole life, my mother was a Nightingale as was my grandfather."

"I stumbled onto it merely by accident, but I now wonder if it was an accident after all. I have a feeling Nocturnal set me up to become a Nightingale. She did mention she had been watching me."

Karliah, sat back in her chair, curled her legs up under her and pulled back her long wet black hair into a ponytail, nodding. "Yes, if you were a good thief, she would have taken a keen interest in you."

"You said your grandfather was one too. That's some legacy, Karliah."

She gave him a crooked smile, her purple eyes gleaming. "Oh, my legacy goes back farther than that. My grandmother was Queen Berenziah."

Gallus couldn't mask the shock on his face, "You are royalty too! By the gods… Now that is a story you're going to have to tell me one day."

Karliah sipped her bottle of mead, watching the handsome man unable to mask his shock, but she had a feeling he was usually quite skilled in showing people what they wanted to see. He was choosing to be open with her, to show her she could trust him. "I'll tell you what, I will definitely join you as part of Nocturnal's trinity, but I will think about the Guild. I do quite well on my own."

"Of that, I have no doubt, but we could use you. In less than a year, I have been able to expand the Thieves Guild's power throughout half the country, and our momentum isn't slowing down. We are getting so many recruits that I have to turn some away, but the skill with one like you...we always have room. Our new members could use a skilled trainer."

"Let me think about it. Where did you train, Gallus?"

"I trained myself. Determination and a sheer force of will allowed me to be successful. I was on my own at a very young age, and I wasn't about to squander my life like a rooting animal. I was going to do great things, and I did whatever it took to do so...well, almost nearly. I won't murder for it. I just don't want that in my conscience. It's one thing to steal objects; it's another to steal a life."

"Most thieves wouldn't care about those things. It's no wonder Nocturnal took notice of you."

"How about you? How far would you go? I ask because while we are thieves, the Guild does have tenets to live by...a code if you will. I do not allow murder."

"I do not kill. I never had to. But if I have no choice, I will."

Gallus raised his bottle to her in a cheer, "To a long a prosperous life, Karliah. I think you and I will make for an excellent team."

Karliah raised her bottle in return and took a sip. 

"I guess it's late and we should get some rest. You can share my room if you want to. I will sleep on the floor."

"Thank you. Before we sleep, what do we do about this gem? I'm still willing to fight you for it," she said jokingly, but she wouldn't let him take it either.

"You keep it. It's your grandmother's, after all. If I find the next one, it's mine, though."

Karliah was surprised by this, and it made her wary once more. Thieves were not typically to be trusted, and they don't give up treasures easily either. "Why?"

"Simple, I would rather have you than that gem," Gallus explained. He would rather have her in other ways too, but he kept that part to himself. She was beautiful and unique. He had never seen a Dunmer with purple eyes and white sclera before. Gallus wondered if her father was human.

"I don't know about you, but I'm ready to sleep," she said, yawning to prove her point. "Thanks for the shared room and saving my life. You are an unusual thief, Gallus."

"It's my pleasure."

Gallus and Karliah headed to the Solitude stables early in the morning to grab their horses and make their way back to Riften. Lucky was chomping happily on her oats, not happy to leave her food behind as Gallus patted her sleek brown coat. Fortunately, Karliah already had a horse, a lovely black stallion named after Nocturnal's portal to her realm, Ebonmere.

The two thieves traveled for two days before reaching Rorikstead for the night, hoping to reach the Twilight Sepulchre the next day so they could do the ceremony, indoctrinating Karliah into Nocturnal's trinity.

They had finished their dinner at Frostfruit Inn, drinking some ale as they got to know one another. They had already learned a lot the two days riding to the small town, the conversation was easy for them. Karliah was surprised at how quickly the words flowed from her. She had been isolated for a long time, thieving alone with not many people to talk to, but Gallus was a good listener, and it was almost as if she wanted to tell him her whole life story. She wasn't surprised he wasn't just a leader, but an effective one.

Curling up in the chair, as she was prone to do, she looked at the handsome Imperial sitting across from her. "You are quite attractive for being a thief. I'm surprised it hasn't hindered you in some way. It's better to not be very distinguishable."

"Says the beautiful Dunmer sitting across from me," he retorted, smiling when her dark skin turned purple in blush.

She waved her hand at him in dismissal. "It is why my face is always hidden."

"I hide mine too, but I use my face to my advantage as well. There are other ways to thieve, Karliah. I am not normally a braggart, but I know I'm attractive enough to get what I want now and then…"

"I'm sure more than 'now and then,'" Karliah interrupted.

"Indeed, but I used it in my early days. I...seduced nobles to either steal from them or get them to relinquish certain 'gifts' for my efforts. I know it sounds like prostitution, and perhaps it is, but if there was something I wanted, sometimes it was easier to seduce them for it."

"So, you must be good in bed then," she said, cocking her eyebrow at him, a crooked smile on her face.

"I haven't had any complaints," Gallus shrugged. "Why, would you like to find out?"

Karliah burst out laughing but quieted down when people started to stare. "No, thank you. I will take your word for it."

Gallus choked down his disappointment without her noticing. He was hoping to worm his way into her bed, but she rebuked him effortlessly. He gave her a warm smile to distract, "Ah, starting to trust me then, I see."

"Gallus, did I just see a flicker of disappointment in those lovely dark eyes of yours? Not used to women, perhaps men as well, telling you no?"

It was Gallus' turn to blush at being caught not only in his disappointment but also in how she quickly figured him out. Despite his embarrassment, he only became more intrigued by her that she could read him so easily. It was a rare thing for him. "Oh, you're good," he admitted. "You read people quite well. Now I definitely want you in my little thieving family. Not many people can read me."

"Well, I have a lot more life experience than you," Karliah explained. "You are still quite young, even by human standards."

Gallus raised his hands, seeing her eyes challenge him, daring him to ask her age. "Don't worry, I won't touch that one. I wouldn't dream of asking a lady her age, even if she can live for over five hundred years. But I can estimate judging how long ago your grandmother ruled."

"Yes, you learn quickly too...good," she said, giving him a warm and beautiful smile. "I'm off to bed. I don't like to drink too much, and we have been doing a bit much of it tonight. Good night, Gallus."

"Good night, Karliah," he replied, watching her walk away, no, saunter away— _She's swaying those hips intentionally!_ Chuckling under his breath, he headed off to his own room for sleep.

Gallus and Karliah stood before Nocturnal as they took a knee in deference. 

“Ah, Gallus, I was wondering when you were going to find Karliah. I was beginning to think you were ignoring my orders,” Nocturnal scolded.

“Karliah was a difficult woman to find, my lady. I see now why you wanted her to be indoctrinated into the Nightingales beyond her family,” Gallus explained.

“Yes, I am aware of Karliah’s talents. It is why I had to intervene lest you never find her. Please do not make me intervene again when I ask you to do something.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Welcome to the Nightingales, Karliah. I do hope you do not disappoint. You have a lot to live up to between your mother and grandfather,” Nocturnal addressed Karliah.

“I will do my best to protect the Twilight Sepulchre and you, my lady, or die trying.”

“Yes, I expect no less,” Lady Luck said, then addressed Gallus. “How does the search for the third member? I hope this isn’t going to take much longer. I need proper protection.”

“Admittedly, it is slow going. I have one man in mind, but he requires further training. I believe he would make a good protector, my lady.”

“And you trust this man?”

“I do,” Gallus said simply.

“Very well. Get him trained and bring him to me when he’s ready.”

“I will. Thank you, my lady.”

“Walk in the shadows,” Nocturnal said by way of a goodbye, then she blinked out.

Gallus turned to face Karliah. She looked good in her new Nightingale armor— _too good._ “Now what? Have you decided to take me up on my offer?” he asked. 

“You’re not going to stop nagging me, are you, if I don’t say yes,” Karliah feigned annoyance, though she was smiling, her hip leaning against the stone wall.

“Never,” he said, giving her his best smile.

“I guess you’ve worn me down, Gallus. I accept.”

“Excellent! I knew you couldn’t resist me for long.” Gallus, unable to stop himself, tucked away some stray hairs from Karliah’s face. Recovering, he apologized and headed out of the temple with Karliah close behind. 

As Karliah was following Gallus, she wondered how long she could resist him in other things, grateful he couldn’t see her smile behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Trouble comes in small packages.


	6. The Newest Member

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mercer strives to have more with Gallus. Big surprises can come in small packages.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beginning of chapter has NSFW content
> 
> Fanart at the end.

The Thieves Guild of Riften had indeed been a success, and it was still growing, spreading its influence across Skyrim. Gallus wanted the Guild to surpass that of the Guild in Cyrodiil, and he was well on his way. It was two months after he and Karliah met with Nocturnal, soon to return to her with a trained Mercer.

Gallus was drying off in his room after his bath when there was a knock on the door. 

“Come in,” he said, wrapping himself in a robe.

Mercer opened the door, came in, and nearly choked at the sight of Gallus half-naked, his robe open. He found it almost impossible to pry his eyes off the man’s muscular chest, but he managed it, looking at him in his eyes. “I...uhm…” Mercer sputtered, unable to speak and wondered why he was suddenly feeling flustered.

“Well, what is it?” Gallus asked, waiting patiently for Mercer to tell him what he wanted while digging around in a drawer for clothes.

“I, ahem, want to know if we can finish our training.”

“Which training is that?” Gallus asked despite knowing what Mercer was referring to. He wanted the man to be confident enough to ask himself. If he was going to seduce men for work, he would have to learn to be able to take charge, not afraid to ask important questions.

“You know...I ah want more training in loving-making. You said you would teach me how it feels to be on the receiving end, but I think I need more practice with the penetration part.”

“Very well, then. Are you clean?”

“I bathed not too long ago, yes,” Mercer said, knowing Gallus would have expected him to do so.

“Shut the door,” Gallus ordered.

Mercer shut the door behind him, and when he turned around, barely able to contain his excitement saw Gallus was already completely naked, folding his robe neatly and placing it on a chair. “No point in wasting time with me removing clothes since I’m not wearing any,” he shrugged, smiling. “Remove your clothes,” Gallus ordered as he sat down on his bed, crossed his legs to watch. 

Once Mercer’s clothes were removed, he stood there awkwardly at being stared at, already erect with the thought of being with Gallus again. He had fantasized about him for months hoping for an opportunity to be with him again. Everyone seemed to love Gallus, and Mercer was among them, but he had to make himself stand out so Gallus would see him over everyone else’s adoration. Mercer had hoped if he improved enough sexually, perhaps Gallus would grow to enjoy him and want to be with him despite his rules. 

He couldn’t help but have a twinge of jealousy the day Gallus came home with Karliah, the two laughing as they walked in as if they were old friends. The leader spent too much time with the woman, and Mercer needed to distract him away from her finally.

“Come over here and show me what you remember,” Gallus said, standing up as Mercer approached him. “I want you to take charge. If you are going to seduce someone, you are going to have to do it confidently. That takes practice, and I’m not expecting you to be an expert right off, but remember everything I’m telling you.”

Mercer nodded and slowly approached Gallus, trying not to rush into his arms. He gently grasped Gallus' face and pulled him in for a tender and passionate kiss, smiling in his mouth when he felt Gallus wrap his arms around him. Mercer then ran his hands along the taut skin on Gallus’ body as he was shown before, caressing him with fingers.

It was hard for him to take charge, still not entirely confident in the art of lovemaking, but Mercer tried. He gently pushed Gallus to the bed and laid him down as he straddled his leader, combing fingers through his chest hair. Moving his body down, he tenderly attended to Gallus’ hardness, trying to remember all that he was taught. Inserting Gallus’ hardness into his mouth, he groaned when he heard Gallus moan, pleased he was able to get that out of the man, turning him on. 

“Gently now,” Gallus instructed, moaning when Mercer was sucking a bit too hard. “And remember, don’t finish me.” Gallus had to admit the man certainly remembered all he taught him, quickly bringing Gallus to the brink.

Gallus handed Mercer his oil as Mercer gently applied it to Gallus, readying him to be penetrated, trying to recall all that was done the last time. Mercer felt Gallus was ready for him and slowly inserted himself, taking his time not to hurt the man, closing his eyes as he fully penetrated the man. 

“Look at me, Mercer. Try to look at your lover...mmmm, sorry. Their expressions will tell you a lot, like if you are hurting them or enjoying it, especially if they are the quiet types. Don’t be afraid to ask the questions out loud.” Gallus swallowed a bit too loudly as Mercer worked in and out of him, realizing how much the man learned, hitting that spot perfectly.

Mercer bent towards Gallus’ ear, not stopping his rhythm, nibbling on it, feeling a bit more confident as the heat built up. “Are you enjoying it? I think you are. I can hear your breathing pick up, your struggles to speak...you feel so good wrapped around me,” he whispered, wanting to bring Gallus to the brink, to please him to the fullest so he would want more and more.

The man’s breath in Gallus’ ear caused the hairs on his skin to rise but pleasantly. The man did the right thing whispering in his ear as he grabbed himself, ready to finish, feeling Mercer’s speed pick up. Gallus quickly finished then felt Mercer move harder and faster until he sputtered back and forth as he orgasmed inside Gallus.

Mercer fell to the side of Gallus, wrapping an arm around his stomach, fingers trailing touches back and forth against the now damp skin from sweat. 

“I have to admit, you learn quickly, Mercer. That was well done.”

Smiling, pleased he did well and hoped it was good enough for Gallus to want more. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

“Yes, I’m rarely on the receiving end, but that is twice now, and you quickly learned to be good at it. You will take charge frequently with your future lovers.”

Gallus got out of bed, and Mercer suddenly felt cold from the loss of body warmth and didn’t want to let the man to go. He watched his leader clean himself off, then gently cleaned Mercer with a soft cloth. Mercer was not expecting that gentle touch from him, which made the desire for him stronger.

“You know what? I think you’re ready, Mercer.”

“Ready for what,” he asked, hoping it was a new sexual lesson.

Gallus sat on the bed next to Mercer and disappointingly put his robe back on. “I have a special task for you. This will quickly move you up in the Guild's ranks, but I think you are more than capable. Do you want to be my number two?”

“Are you kidding? Of course, I would! What about Brynjolf?”

“Brynjolf will understand. He is still only ten years old and has a long way to go. I will talk to him. He’s a great kid, smart. You won’t be just second in command of the Guild, but there is another task before you. I cannot tell you what right now. I have to be sure you are behind me one hundred percent because it’s a...secret.”

“Of course, you have me one hundred percent!”

“Good! I knew I could count on you. In two weeks, you and I will head to Falkreath, and there I will tell you all. Deal?”

“Deal!”

Mercer left Gallus’ room feeling better than he had felt in, well, he really couldn’t remember the last time he felt so good. To hopefully have a lover, to become next in line to be a leader, and to be trusted enough to be a part of this secret, Gallus will soon reveal to him. It was a great day, indeed!

The Ratway was nearly empty, with most of the thieves out on jobs. It was just him and Brynjolf and another thief who was in recovery from an injury after a botched job. Gallus was at his desk in his private quarters, going over the ledger, making sure everything was accounted for. As much as he adored his new family, they were still thieves.

While Gallus was doing paperwork, Brynjolf was returning from his reading lessons at the Temple. When he first discovered the Ratway, the odorous, dank, dark, and wet tunnels scared him a bit. He was only eight Winters at the time, but that was nearly two years ago. Now, it was home, and a good home as one could have with a bunch of thieves. Brynjolf had come to love Gallus almost as much as a father, well, he never loved his father, so Gallus really was more of a father. The man could have easily thrown Brynjolf to the streets, but instead took him in and took care of him.

Before Brynjolf reached the door to the Ragged Flagon, the new tavern Gallus had installed, he heard a strange noise coming from the table in the middle of the room. He hadn’t noticed the basket on top of until now, cursing himself for not paying more attention. Gallus would never have missed such a thing. He walked over to the basket and took a curious look inside. To his surprise, it was an infant— _who left a baby just sitting here in a sewer?_

He looked closely at the baby, noticing it had the blackest hair he had ever seen, and the eyes looked like the night sky with dark purples and flecks of gold and black. Brynjolf wasn’t sure what to do with it. He looked around in the basket and felt a piece of folded parchment. The letter was sealed with some sort of black, winged symbol he had never seen before, but on top of the parchment was Gallus’ name.

Uncovering the baby must have set loose some dust as it sneezed, and as soon as it did, the strangest thing the boy had ever seen in his short years occurred. The infant disappeared in a thick black cloud of smoke then suddenly reappeared again. He quickly backed away from the child, not knowing what to do.

Taking a deep breath, the boy forced himself to be brave, grabbed the basket and brought it to Gallus, assuming he would know what to do with the thing since the letter was addressed to him.

Brynjolf struggled to carry the heavy basket through the Cistern, finally reaching Gallus’ bedroom door and knocked.

“Come in,” Gallus invited.

“Uhm, Gallus?”

“What can I do for you, Bryn?” Gallus asked, not looking up from what he was doing.

“Uhm, Gallus,” he said again. “There’s something here for you that looks, well, important.”

Gallus turned to the boy to see him struggling with a heavy basket. “What’s in the basket? A gift?”

“Not exactly...well, I don’t know actually. Could be, I guess.”

“Well, which is it, lad?”

“Can you just take it? It’s scaring me a bit, and it’s heavy.”

Gallus grabbed the basket from the boy, who yelled at him to be gentle. Curious now, he set the basket gently on his desk and pulled away the cloth to find an infant inside. “By the Gods...what is it?”

“You know it’s a baby, right? I found it in the Ratway,” Brynjolf asked, looking at his leader strangely.

“Yes, yes, of course...I mean, who’s baby is it?”

“How should I know? There’s a letter for you that I found in the basket.”

“Oh, Gods...don’t tell me I got some woman pregnant, and now she’s forcing me to care for the child. I was careful! I have special potions that keep this very thing from happening,” Gallus complained. “And why in Oblivion would she drop this child off in the Ratway unattended!”

Rubbing his face in frustration, Gallus thanked Brynjolf and sent the boy away, wanting to read the damaging letter in private. The letter was written in beautiful penmanship, clearly educated, so that narrowed down the people, but the room’s floor fell out from under his feet when he read him being addressed as a Nightingale, slowly sinking down into a chair.

_My Dear Nightingale,_

_I am quite pleased with your efforts those long days we spent together in the Evergloam. I must admit, I would not have minded if it didn’t take the first time to have you back again. I did quite enjoy you, though I am sure you would not be pleased to have me drain you once more._

_Despite your efforts to make yourself temporarily infertile with those potions, I reversed the effects. I wanted a new champion for the Nightingales, one who would carry on my name for generations to come. A demiprince who is half-human, yet with my strengths. She will have a great deal of my power, though not as strong. Only you will understand her and be able to help her, guide her._

_I cannot care for her here, so you must. You will teach her everything you know and protect her with your life as you protect me. You may name her as you wish, but do try to give her something that reflects me a bit. She is, after all, my child._

_N—_

_God’s be damned, Nocturnal!_

That was what she wanted after all that time he spent intimately with her. He thought she was bored and just needed some attention. Gallus was always careful not to get a woman pregnant, but he was ignorant not to realize the extent of Nocturnal’s power, not realizing what she truly wanted from him.

_What am I going to do with a baby in the sewers with the Thieves Guild!_ Gallus paced back and forth fretting. He was already a busy man and had his own quest to find the Eyes of Falmer on top of it. Now the Guild Master had to take care of an infant. He couldn’t just send her off to an orphanage, Nocturnal would kill him. What choice did he have? He was going to take care of the baby as Nocturnal demanded, protect her. 

Gallus didn’t know the first thing about babies. He went to the basket and looked at the child once more. She was quite beautiful with her black hair and nebula eyes, her eyes looking like Nocturnal herself.

The baby must have been getting hungry or something as it started to wail out of the blue, causing Gallus’ heart to race. He picked her up and held her with arms outstretched, watching her cry, wishing for silence.

Panic took hold of him as she vanished out of his hands in a waft of shadow just as Nocturnal would. He spun around all over his room, looking for her and could no longer hear her. _Oh, God’s, Nocturnal is going to kill me! I’ve lost the child already, and I only had her for ten minutes!_

Suddenly the child reappeared back in her basket wailing once more. Gallus braced his hands on his knees, letting his panic subside, heart still racing. _This child is going to give me a heart attack._

“Where is it!” Karliah yelled out as she burst into Gallus' room uninvited.

“Well, news certainly travels fast around here,” he replied, pointing at the baby crying in the basket.

“Brynjolf was unusually nervous, pacing back and forth in the Cistern. It didn’t take much to get the information out of the boy,” she explained. “Whose is it, Gallus?”

He was silent for too long, debating on how much to tell her, not sure how she would take the bit of news that the child was a demiprince. It was hard to think over the wailing.

“Gallus, whose baby is this?”

“Nocturnal’s!” he finally yelled, in part to be heard over the crying, the other part in frustration.

Karliah looked at him in shock then burst out laughing. “That was funny, Gallus, but really, who is the mother?”

“I’m not joking. It’s...Nocturnal’s and...mine,” he said, handing her the letter.

“You’re not joking…” she said flatly as she was reading.

“I wish I were. Nocturnal requested some...time with me for several days. I thought she just needed...company, that she was bored or something!”

“Why would Nocturnal want to just fuck, even you Gallus, out of boredom? How could you not believe she wanted more from you? Nocturnal does not do anything frivolously.”

“I know! I...I just never once thought a baby would be in the mix!” he yelled, making the baby cry even more. “Shhh, sorry, sorry, sorry…” 

They two thieves stared at the beautiful crying baby, watching her puff back and forth into smoke and whole again. 

“What do I do, Karliah? I don’t know anything about babies. Older kids I can handle. Surely, you know something?”

“Why? Because I’m a woman that I would know such things? All I know is they get hungry and poop a lot.”

“Dammit! OK, wait here for a second...please just...watch her!”

Gallus ran off in search of Brynjolf and called him over, handing him a small coin purse. “I need you to run over to the Temple and see if they have any books on...how to care for babies. It’s a Temple of Mara, surely they have some sort of information, then hurry back!

He watched Brynjolf run off and went back to his room, noticing the child had stopped crying, his ears still ringing. When he walked in, he could see Karliah gently holding the baby against her shoulder, bouncing it around as the infant tried to eat her whole hand.

“Maybe she’s hungry,” he suggested. “It’s not like I can...breastfeed her.”

“Perhaps we can find a wet nurse? But they would have to come down here, and it’s not a place for just anyone.”

“That’s it!” he exclaimed, snapping his fingers. “I know...we find a nanny or wet nurse. There is a house for sale here in Riften. I could buy it and give the child a home. She really shouldn’t live down here.”

“You're her father, Gallus. You’re going to have to live with her in the home.”

“Dammit! You’re right. This really changes everything,” he said in frustration.

“Well, babies do that. Why do you think I never had any in all my years?”

Karliah handed the baby to Gallus as he grabbed her holding her out once more, unsure what to do. 

“You have to hold her, Gallus. I know enough about babies that they need to be held,” Karliah suggested.

Gallus brought the child to his chest, her head rested on his shoulder as he saw Karliah do, sitting down on his bed, patting her back.

Karliah gave Gallus a smirk. “See, you’re a natural,” she teased. “I’ll tell you what. You talk to the Jarl’s Steward to purchase that house, and I will look around for someone to take care of the child.”

“Thank you, Karliah. I...that means a lot.”

“What are you going to name her?”

“I don’t know yet. Nocturnal wanted something fitting to her legacy, so I’m going to have to take some time to find something worthy.”

The past several months had been a whirlwind for Gallus between figuring out the baby’s needs, buying a house, moving, getting Mercer set up to take on more responsibility in the Cistern, and getting the man indoctrinated into the Nightingales. But it was done, and he was slowly learning to care for a baby, though he did have help from a nanny. Karliah could never find a wetnurse, so they were forced to feed the child goat’s milk, but the girl seemed to be doing well.

Gallus had finally named her after weeks of trying to figure out something worthy of Nocturnal. He had been doing his nightly research in his office in his new home on the Falmer. He came across a scroll that needed to be translated when he came across the world, “Loria.” Loria meant ‘darkness’ in ancient Falmer, and he realized that was the perfect name for his daughter and represented Nocturnal well.

Brynjolf also came to live with Gallus. The Thieves Guild leader figured if he was going to take care of children, he might as well have them living as normal as possible, despite them both most likely following in his footsteps. He wasn’t adopting Brynjolf, but the boy was his responsibility regardless. The boy proved to be quite useful in helping out with Loria, who would help feed her, change her, and read to her. 

Gallus was on his bed cross-legged working on his Falmer translations one late evening, his back against the headboard, Loria sleeping in his lap when there was a knock on the door. The nanny opened the door, so he didn’t have to get up. He looked up when he sensed the presence in the doorway to his room, seeing Karliah standing there looking beautiful as ever. He had given up hope of ever connecting intimately with her after the arrival of Loria. What woman would want a man saddled down with a child, especially one who never wanted children?

“Well, isn’t this a site,” she said, smiling, leaning in the doorway, admiring the cozy scene of father and daughter. “If I didn’t know better, I would think you were starting to enjoy fatherhood, Gallus.”

“Never,” he deadpanned, smiling up at the Dunmer woman. “I have to admit, she is quite cute, and she’s much happier now that she’s properly taken care of, less vanishing into thin air, which never stops scaring the you-know-what out of me.”

“Just imagine what she will be able to do when she’s older and in control of her powers. She’s going to make the perfect Nightingale and thief.”

“Part of me sort of wishes she wouldn’t. I was forced into this life and did the best I could with my situation. Yes, I love what I do, but at the same time, there are other things, better things that will be worthy of her.”

“So, you do love her,” Karliah said, pleased Gallus had shown his softer side and that he was truly capable of love and carrying, that it wasn’t always just business. Sure he took care of Brynjolf, but he was grooming the boy to be a master thief. His reaction to Loria was different.

“I can love,” Gallus retorted.

“Yes, I know you can. You just choose not to.”

“True, you have me there, but things have changed.”

“Indeed they have,” she said as she slowly walked over to Gallus. Careful not to wake up the baby, she bent down and pressed her lips to Gallus, kissing him softly and pulled away.

Gallus' heart hammered in his chest. The last thing he was expecting was to be kissed by Karliah. “What was that for?” he asked, trying not to stutter.

“That is for showing me a different side to you. A side that isn’t all about seduction, that you can give as much as you take.”

Gallus didn’t know what to say or what it all meant in regards to him and Karliah. He wanted her intimately, but it was the first time he ever thought about having more with someone that wasn’t just sexual, despite his rules.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! We would love to know what you think. Please leave us a comment below <3


	7. How Green is Envy?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karliah makes an effort to finally commit to Gallus, which only stokes the jealous fires in Mercer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW Content.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Leave a comment below and tell us what you think so far. <3

Mercer leaned against the wall watching Gallus toss his growing daughter in the air catching her as she giggled and squealed with mounting frustration and a tinge of jealousy. He knew he shouldn't feel jealous over a baby, but he couldn't control it. All the headway he had made six months ago was now at a standstill. He was struggling to connect with the Guild Master as he was distracted by the child, and he noticed that Karliah was spending more and more time with Gallus. Mercer was starting to wonder if they were developing a relationship that was only fueling his frustration and jealousy.

Mercer straightened up and put on a smile, wiped away the jealousy he knew was on his face as Gallus approached him, daughter in his arms.

"Hey, Merc...I've meant to talk to you. I just wanted to apologize to you for not being here enough. It seems Loria here insists on taking all my time. I also want to thank you for stepping up on taking more of a leadership role. You've done a fantastic job, as I knew you would," Gallus said.

"Sure, it's been no problem, fun, in fact. I'm glad to help," Mercer offered, trying to sound positive. There was a lingering hope he still had a chance with the man, but as the months dragged on, his desire was slowly being replaced by disappointment, sometimes anger. 

"Glad to hear it! You were made for this. Though I have come to love this girl, I do miss being out there, getting my hands dirty."

"So, uhm, how's fatherhood?" he asked, not really caring.

Gallus barked out a laugh. "Well, it is the last thing I ever expected to be, a father, but once I got a handle on things, she's pretty delightful, but I doubt I will ever truly have a handle on this one. She's going to be a handful!"

Mercer gave a fake laugh in return, really not wanting to talk about Gallus' daughter. Though there was one thing he wanted to talk about, he wasn't sure how to approach the subject. Deciding to just be out with it, he asked, but subtly. "Uhm, you and Karliah are hitting it off well."

"Well, we meshed well in the beginning when we met...after we didn't want to kill each other. But yes, we seem to be getting closer. Karliah seems to like who I am now better than before."

"Oh, yeah, well...uhm, that's good." 

Now onto the other topic, Mercer wanted to discuss. "So, am I done with that training?" Mercer asked, not wanting to say it out loud.

"What training? You're done with all training, I thought."

"No, you know…" Mercer leaned in and whispered. "The _other_ training."

"Oh, I see. No, we are done with that. You did really well last time, and you have a good handle on the art of seduction." Gallus wondered if the question really had anything to do with learning seduction techniques and more to the fact that Mercer wanted more from him on a personal level. He liked Mercer, but not in that way. 

_Apparently not since I can't seduce the man at all_ , Mercer thought irritably. "Oh...OK. It wasn't really about the training, you know," Mercer finally admitted, confirming what Gallus already knew.

"I had a feeling, Merc. Look, I like you a lot, and you’re a great friend, but just not in that way. I’m sorry, Merc. You are handsome and great. I’m sure there is someone who is out there for you," Gallus explained, not really wanting to talk about this in front of Loria, though she couldn't understand anyway. "Plus, things have changed with Loria. She's become important to me."

"I see. Well, thanks for being honest, Gallus," Mercer said, unable to keep the disappointment out of his voice and walked away. 

Though Gallus explained his rule to Mercer regarding relationships awhile back, he wondered if that was a lie now. All he could think about was Karliah as they grew closer. They had not been intimate yet, but he had a feeling it would happen. She was spending a lot of time with him, and they had gotten to know one another quite well, kissing only a few times. If there was anyone he would be willing to have something serious with her. Something was comforting about the woman, always feeling at ease around her.

Gallus tried to brush off what Mercer was telling him as he walked back to his office, hoping what he explained would be enough. He didn't want the man getting attached to him like that. It was easier for Gallus to brush aside others in regards to relationships, but perhaps it wasn't so easy for people like Mercer who felt abandoned by their own parents. _Maybe I should have been more careful about how I treated him initially, but I was clear I was just training him._ There was nothing he could do about that now other than keep Mercer at arm's length and hope they could move past these feelings.

Loria was walking now as Gallus put her down and let her explore his now safer old bedroom in the Cistern. He didn't sleep there anymore, but he kept it around to use for work. 

As Loria was exploring, Gallus noticed a folded letter on his desk with his name on it. Picking it up, he was surprised to see it was from Karliah.

_Dear Gallus,_

_I'm due back on Tirdas, 10th Hearthfire. I have already arranged with the Nanny to watch over Loria while you and I have an evening out for just the two of us. I think we are due for some fun, no? She will be in good hands while you and I have a nice meal then we can see where the evening takes us. I have been thinking about this a lot recently and would like to get to know you in other ways._

_Meet me at the Bee & Barb Tirdas in the evening at eight. _

_Karliah_

Gallus couldn't help the broad smile that crept over his face. He wasn't surprised by the fact she was willing to push their relationship further, but the letter pleased him she was ready. Karliah was due back in three days, and he looked forward to their evening when she returned from her job.

"How do I look, Bryn?" Gallus asked Brynolf, turning around for him.

"You look like a dad," the boy answered.

"You're no help…"

"I thought you wanted me to be honest," Brynjolf retorted.

"So you think Karliah will see me as a dad instead of someone desirable, huh? What does an eleven Winters old boy know?"

"You asked…"

Gallus held up the green tunic showing it to Brynjolf. "How about this one."

"Better than the white one."

"Why am I so nervous?" Gallus asked rhetorically.

"Because you don't do relationships, and now you do," the boy shrugged, seeming to know more than he should in his short years.

"You're going to be trouble, boy," Gallus laughed with affection as he replaced his white tunic with the green one. "Better?"

"Definitely. If Karliah doesn't instantly take you to bed when she sees you, then I don't know what will."

"Bryn!" Gallus started to scold, trying not to laugh.

"What?" he asked, a look of innocence played on his face.

"Trouble, I tell ya...trouble."

Gallus patted Brynjolf's head, causing the boy's eyes to roll back into his head and kissed Loria on the cheek, then headed out to meet Karliah at the Bee & Barb. Strange dampness occurred on his hands as he whipped them on his breeches. The nerves were making his hands clammy. _What has gotten into me? I'm never nervous about such things._

He was a few minutes early as he sat at a table to wait for Karliah when Talen-Jei walked over to take Gallus' order.

"Two of your Velvet Lechance, please, Talen-Jei."

"Two? Rough day?"

"No, my good man, I have a date tonight."

"Oh, I see! Who's the lucky lady then? It wouldn't happen to be that lovely Dunmer you are always eying, would it?"

Gallus looked surprised at the Argonian. "How'd you…"

"It's my job to notice things about people. I can learn what they like to eat, drink or if I should throw them out on their keester," he explained, tail swishing behind him.

Gallus could use someone like Talen-Jei, but he didn't know Gallus worked as the Thieves Guild leader, knowing how much the Argonian hated his Guild. He made sure to keep quiet what he did for a living on the surface world. For all most of Riften knew, he was a merchant. "Well, you have a good eye, indeed! Yes, Karliah is whom I am meeting tonight." 

"I wish you luck, Gallus," Talen-Jei said as he left to get the two drinks.

Gallus made sure he sat in a chair so he could see Karliah come in through either door. He was sipping his drink when she finally arrived, and he nearly choked on his Velvet Lechance at the sight of her. He never imagined her ever wearing a dress, and it looked beautiful on her. The deep violet color matched her eyes and looked lovely against her dark gray skin. Her long black hair came down in waves across her shoulders, glad she didn't put it up as she usually did.

"That was exactly the reaction I was going for, Gallus."

He stood to give her a peck on her cheek and sat down with her. 

"You look beautiful," he said finally. "Not that you don't always look beautiful. I mean, yes, you're always beautiful, but now...I…dammit! See what you do to me?"

"Gallus, I have never seen you so flustered. Are you his nervous, twin brother, perchance?" she asked, unable to contain her laughter.

"Very funny," he responded, though he was laughing along with her.

"You clean up nice yourself, Gallus."

"You can thank Bryn for that. The last outfit I tried on, he claimed, made me look too much like a dad."

"Well, Bryn is only eleven Winters now, so…"

"I said the same thing to him! So, Karliah, what is this about exactly? Have you finally decided I'm not so repulsive after all?"

Karliah smiled, laughing, "I never thought you were repulsive. Don't be so dramatic." She was teasing, but soon her face grew serious. "Honestly, after a year, I have grown to care about you very much, Gallus. I know about your relationship rule, but do you think we have a chance at something more meaningful? Do you think two thieves could be together, fall in love? I don't want to just sleep with you, Gallus, not that I don't want to, but I can do that with anyone."

"It's funny, you say that. You may be surprised to hear, but I have been thinking the same thing as you. Before Loria? Who knows how I would feel. I have always had an interest in you, Karliah. But now that I have Loria, she's teaching me commitment and love. I never dreamt I would ever have a child, and Nocturnal's child at that, but I love her. Yes, I would like to have something meaningful with you."

Karliah reached over and grabbed his hand to hold it, pleased he felt the same way. "I'm glad you feel the same."

After their meal, Karliah looked at Gallus, a mischievous look in her eyes.

"What?" he asked, wondering what her devious mind was plotting.

"Well, I haven't told you yet, but I've rented us a room," she replied. "Do you think you could spare a couple of more hours away from Loria?"

Gallus cocked an eyebrow and had a mischievous smile of his own. "Have you now? I think I can spare some time."

As Gallus and Karliah headed upstairs to their rented room, they didn't notice Mercer, so engrossed in each other, sitting at the bar drinking his mead moodily, scowl on his face at the site of the two on their date. When he walked in, he saw Gallus alone and was going to walk over to talk to him, to maybe apologize for his behavior a couple of days ago when they had their talk. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Karliah walk in looking beautiful, and he knew right then she dressed that way for Gallus.

His mood soured further when he realized they were going to a room to make love. He had Gallus first. He loved Gallus first. Karliah had no right to Gallus. It wasn't just Karliah he was angry with. He was mad at the man himself for telling him he didn't do relationships, and it was clear he and Karliah were getting serious. He knew it, and he saw it when he talked to Gallus the other day. But it was too late. Gallus had his eyes on the Dunmer and not him and told him as much. _It isn't fair!_

Mercer slammed a couple of Septim on the counter and left back to the Cistern for the night, not wanting to think about what Gallus and Karliah were doing up in their room.

As Mercer was leaving, Gallus was removing Karliah's dress, letting it pool to the ground as she stepped out of it. He gasped when he saw she was wearing nothing underneath, instantly hardening him. Her body was more beautiful than he imagined, and she was more defined with muscles than he expected. _No wonder she's so strong._

Gallus wanted to take his time with Karliah. He had been waiting for this moment for so long now and wanted to remember every bit of her. Inching his way closer as she stood there, a smile on her face at his reaction, he slowly moved a hand to her breast, cupping it gently. He wanted to feel how soft her skin was as he brushed a thumb over her nipple. She was as smooth as she looked, enjoying how her nipple hardened to his touch. He was inwardly pleased she had her eyes closed and moaned quietly at his touch, but there was no smile on his face. 

Karliah opened her eyes in surprise as Gallus lifted her and placed her on the small table. She reached to remove his tunic, but he grabbed her hands and pushed them away, slightly shaking his head. Soon she was feeling a bit awkward being the only one naked, but all that quickly passed as he dropped to his knees, spread her legs, pulling her ass over the edge. Hands braced on the table, she watched him explore her sex, touching her surrounding skin before slipping a thumb through her wetness. It would have felt strange to her had he been anyone else. Despite this being their first time together like this, she felt comfortable around Gallus.

"Beautiful," he mumbled before pressing his face close to her wetness.

Karliah could feel the heat of his breath as he ran a tongue through her folds, throwing her head back. 

"No, watch me, Karliah," Gallus demanded.

His simple order quickened her heart and made her wetter as she watched him run his tongue over her bud, spreading her legs farther. She quickly gave that up and placed her feet on his shoulders as he dug in deeper with his tongue. Oh, how he was good at it, but she knew he would be after hearing his stories how he was trained by Dibellan Priestesses. Her breath was caught and held as he focused more on her bud, digging in her warm core with his fingers. The heat was building, and the pressure culminating towards her bud. She was unable to focus on him any longer as she was lost to the warm smoothness of his tongue.

At each point she thought she would burst through her orgasm, Gallus would move his tongue, tease her. In desperation, she pleaded for him to finish her, spreading herself in invitation. The only thing keeping her from falling back was her grasping of his thick curls as she finally convulsed in her orgasm, trying to stifle her groan, but she was unable to keep it contained, not caring if people heard.

Karliah almost fell back before Gallus caught her, pulling her upright as he stood, and she fell into his chest as her heart settled down. She could feel tender fingers caress her back delicately as her mind and vision cleared. Looking up at him, she saw a smiling Gallus staring down at her.

"I knew you were good, but…" was all she could say.

"I want you, Karl," he said in response.

She was weak-kneed as she got off the table, and Gallus had to steady her. She made a second attempt to undress him, but she was rebuked again. "Kind of hard to make love with you still dressed, you know."

"I know. Lie down, and I will undress myself."

"Aren't you going to let me get involved here at all, Gal?" she asked as she lay down on the bed.

"No...I want you to enjoy every minute of it."

"I want to touch you, too," she insisted.

"You will…"

Once he was undressed, he sat on the bed and leaned down to kiss her as their tongues explored each other, her hand snaking through his thick locks. But Karliah wasn't going to have him control everything. She understood what he wanted, but she tried to maintain some control. 

Unexpectedly she sat up, shoved him on his back, and straddled him, combing fingers through his chest hair. It was her turn to admire him. When he reached up to touch her breasts, she grabbed his wrists and pinned them on the bed, leaning down to kiss him once more. 

When it looked like he would stay put, she reached for his hardness stroking, teasing before she inserted him into her wetness. His hands grabbed her waist as fingers dug into flesh when she started to move, gliding back and forth. Gallus' eyes never wavered from her, watching her every expression, seeing every emotion and desire as the heat built up between his legs. 

As the desire built, he abruptly sat up and flipped her over. He wanted to feel her wrapped around him as he thrust deep, speeding up his momentum. There was no teasing, nothing manipulative, nothing seductive in what he was doing. Gallus let the rawness take over, his instincts, as he made love to her. He gave himself to her as he was. Not as the leader of the Thieves Guild, or pet to Maven, or the seducer. It was just him and Karliah. 

Her legs wrapped tightly around him as she moved with his rhythm. He pressed his lips to hers, barely able to kiss her as his breath quickened and shortened from the desire and exertion. Face to face as they blasted themselves with their breathing, Gallus exploded in her, now moaning loudly in her neck as his pace slowed with the dying pressure and orgasm.

Gallus rolled off Karliah and pulled her in for an embrace as she wrapped a leg around his, twisting a curl on his head. 

"That was completely worth the wait," he said, still out of breath.

"I beg to differ. I should have done this a long time ago," she replied.

Gallus barked out a weak laugh, wishing they had done it earlier too, but he was just happy they were together now. 

"So what now, Gallus?"

"What do you mean?"

"What happens to us now? Do you still want to see if we can make something out of this?"

"I'm sure I already told you what I wanted. Yes, I do want that."

"I just need to be certain," she explained. "We are still thieves, and that also means we may have to...do other things to get what we need. I know you still periodically please Maven and the Jarl, so I'm OK with that as long as it's still business."

"Maven won't care if I stop. She's got a baby on the way anyway...not mine, thank the Gods. One baby is enough for me, and I don't need her husband's wrath. The Jarl, I may have to from time to time to get what the Guild needs out of her. She's easily manipulated when she gets what she wants, but I will try to do it less. I don't want other people coming between us, and I understand you may be faced with that as well. I'm OK for the same reasons as you."

Karliah nodded in his neck in agreement. "I want to make something clear, though. While I want you and want to be with you, I don't want to be tied down in marriage. I don't need marriage to profess my love. I...I hope you understand. I know it's early with us, but I just want to be sure you understood where I stand on this issue."

Gallus pulled her face up to his and kissed her lips. "I am not a marriage man myself. I don't think that is something we have to worry about. I just want to be with you."

There was one more issue she wanted to address. She hated bombarding him with all these rules, but they needed to be dealt with, so there was no confusion, and then they could focus on just enjoying each other. "What do we tell the Guild, if at all?"

"What about them? We can be honest and not hide it, but I don't think we should make a big production about it either. I don't think anyone will care."

"Mercer will care. I see the way he looks at you."

"Yes, I know he will, but he's strong and adaptable. He will move on eventually," Gallus explained.

Karliah hoped Gallus was right, but his second in command was infatuated with Gallus. She could see it in his eyes when he thought no one was looking.

"I know we just started this, Karl, but we've known each other for a while. Do you think you would like to live with me? I would like you with me. I know there are two kids there and a nanny, but there's room."

"Well, you have changed, Gal. We can try that. I love the kids, so that is fine. Are you really ready for such a commitment?" she asked.

"Yes, I am," he simply replied, kissing her once more. "Besides, I get to have you like this much more often with you close."

"Oh, so this is purely for selfish reasons then…"

"Of course! I'm a thief, after all," he teased.

Karliah rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, yawning as stirred awake. Someone had been knocking, and since she was already waking up, she let Gallus sleep. She put her robe on and headed to open the door, surprised to see Mercer standing there.

"Can I help you, Mercer? It's pretty early in the morning," she said, stepping aside to let him in the house.

Mercer knew Gallus and Karliah were now seeing each other regularly, but he had no idea she had moved in with him. It only fueled his anger and jealousy, but he choked it back. His intention was to bring a massive job to Gallus' attention, hoping to get more focused on him, but instead, Karliah was there. 

"Oh, I...I didn't know you were living here now," he said lamely.

"Yes, Gallus invited me a couple of weeks ago," she shrugged. "What's going on, Mercer."

"Sorry, yes, there is a big heist job, and they have requested our services," he said, handing her the scroll.

"Gulum-Ei...he sounds Argonian. So, he's looking to make a big heist and procure such treasures to sell secretly to specific buyers? Interesting. This could pay well, Mercer. It sounds fun!"

Mercer nearly jumped out of his skin when Loria suddenly appeared out of thin hair next to Karliah, grabbing at her robe. The woman bent down to pick her up, holding the child on her hip. "We need to wake Gallus so he can take a look at this. This may be a good job for the three of us."

Gallus sat at the table drinking tea to wake up as the two other fellow Nightingales sat with him while trying to bounce Loria on his knee. "So let me get this straight. This Argonian wants us to steal from the very company he works for so he can sell said items on a black market where he can up the cost to certain buyers?"

"That's about right," Mercer said.

"Sounds fun!"

"That's what I said," laughed Karliah.

"OK, Mercer, go ahead and get more details from this Gulum-Ei, see if you can meet with him in Solitude for more information. Tell him we are interested, but we need to make sure we have every bit of information, so we don't get caught. When you return, we can head out.

"Sounds good," Mercer said, feeling pretty confident at masking his jealousies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: How to befriend an Argonian.


	8. Stealing from an Empire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gallus, Karliah, and Mercer meet Gulum-Ei for the first time as they make one the greatest heists from the East Empire Company, which comes with great risk and danger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! We would love to know your thoughts in the comments below. <3

Maven rolled back the scroll when she was done reading, handing it back to Gallus. She sat there looking out the window, lost in thought, rubbing her growing belly with her latest child, hoping it was a girl this time. Two beastly boys were enough.

"So, what is it you want from me, Gallus?" Maven asked.

"This is going to be a tricky heist, but can you imagine the riches if we can pull this off? At the same time, if one of us is caught, it could spell serious trouble for the Guild, thus possibly you. The East Empire Company is powerful, and its warehouse in Solitude is well-guarded." 

"Gallus, you're wasting my time. You still are not telling what you want from me? My blessing? My begging you to bring me back a lovely trinket? What?"

"Maven, pregnancy has made you crabbier than normal. I'm getting to that. There isn't anything you need to do per se. I just want to make sure you know what we are doing since you have close ties to the Guild. It would help if one of us is caught, that you could use your influence and power to get us out," Gallus explained. "You know I don't like to leave anyone behind. It helps build loyalty."

Maven thought over what Gallus was saying to her. She got nothing out of this, and she wasn't sure why he had to tell her about this heist. She never asked for every detail on all the Guild's jobs as long as it didn't come back to haunt her.

"If you get caught, it could spell trouble for me if it gets out that the Guild is in my pocket. I trust you, and whoever is going is not going to let out I'm involved? Because there will be serious consequences if it does...I don't care how much I like you." 

Gallus nodded. "Of course, but the East Empire Company has its ways. They could find out. You need to know and be prepared."

"I'll tell you what, give me some time, and I will make some connections at the Company. If one of you gets caught, I will use my influence to get you out, but you better not, and you will owe me big if I do."

"I appreciate that, Maven, but I will not tolerate you using one of my members as a scapegoat. You need to understand that. They trust me, and I must maintain that trust to keep the Guild successful. If you have to blame anyone, blame me."

Maven narrowed her eyes at the man. "And _you_ need to trust me that I will do what it takes to keep my anonymity, even if that means scapegoats. But I will endeavor to prevent that from happening. Again, Gallus, you owe me big."

Gallus stood to leave, knowing the meeting was drawing to a close. "Like what? Want a present? An amulet? Kiss on that lovely rump of yours?"

"Only you get to talk to me like that," she complained.

"Because I've given you the best fucks of your life," he retorted with a smile. He leaned over and gave her a peck on the cheek. “I knew you liked me, Maven.”

The corner of Maven's mouth twitched at his comment. "I will let you know when I have established a connection with the Company."

Two months later, Gallus, Karliah, and Mercer headed out towards Solitude and the East Empire Company. Maven had established new connections within the Company as promised, and the three Guild members went over the heist with a fine-toothed comb making sure every contingency was accounted for and planned. This was a massive job, and they couldn't afford mistakes, which was why the top three thieves were doing the job personally.

Gallus spent the better part of a day a month back arguing with Mercer in how to handle the Company's guards. Mercer wanted to just stealthy kill them, which would leave a free-for-all, allowing them to take what they wanted. While Gallus was against murder in its entirety. In the end, it was agreed no one was to be murdered unless it was absolutely necessary. Karliah then suggested she could knock out the guards with some of her poison, but not only would she have to get in close to use it, but once they woke up, their suspicions would arouse, and the thieves wouldn't be able to continue the theft.

The plan was to break in at night when there were just guards and no workers. They would meet up with Gulum-Ei, who is just a simple dock worker for the East Empire Company with grand machinations of being wealthy, tired of being a nobody. The four would remove crates and chests into a cave system attached to the warehouse discovered by the Argonian. The theft would occur over the course of days, so it wasn't apparent that anything was being stolen. But that also heightened the risk of getting caught. 

It was also planned they wouldn't take too much, just enough to get Gulum-Ei started. In return for the Guild's help, the Argonian would work as a fence in Solitude. He wouldn't work for the Guild in an official manner, but he would be allowed to work independently selling the finest goods he could get ahold of, with the Guild receiving a small percentage cut on all items sold.

Gallus hated leaving Loria behind for such a long period of time, but he knew she was in good hands. It wasn't as if he frequently left anymore, handing over most jobs to his thieves unless it was something that only he could handle. Now that he had Mercer and Karliah, he could send them in his stead as well. 

It took nearly a week to travel across Skyrim's entire country to get to Solitude from Riften. After dropping off their horses at the Solitude Stables, they made their way to town to meet Gulum-Ei at the Winking Skeever. 

When the three thieves walked in, they found the Argonian eating in an alcove with a private table by a window. His scales were nearly black with horns on his head instead of the feathers that were commonly found on Argonians. His table was tucked away for some privacy to discuss their illegal plans. After they all made their introductions, they sat, and Gallus explained what they had planned. 

"I agree that we should not kill the guards. I still have to work there, and I do not want to arouse suspicion on myself. It's the only way to keep me in stock and the coin flowing," Gulum-Ei said, speaking quietly to prevent him from being overheard.

"Yes, it is the same reason I decided not to knock the guards out. Since this will take us a few days, we want to keep our profile low, and we can't do that if they believe their guards had been poisoned or killed," Karliah explained.

"But if we kill them, we could clean out the place in one day," Mercer tried to convince the others.

"No killing, Mercer. You know how I feel about that. I know it would be easier, but I also don't want the Dark Brotherhood breathing down our necks. We may have a use for them one day, and I don't want to create animosity," Gallus rebuked.

Gulum-Ei slid a key on the table towards Gallus. "I had this made recently. It's a copy of a key I lifted from a guard that you can use to get inside the warehouse. It will save time from lockpicking a complicated lock, but it will make it look like you belong there."

Gallus placed a hand over the key, slid it towards him unnoticed, and slipped it into his coat pocket. "Excellent, this will help."

"If you are certain everything is planned for, then I would like to start tonight," the Argonian said.

"We are ready," Gallus replied, looking at Karliah and Mercer, who both nodded that they were ready.

"Be there at midnight. I will already be inside 'inspecting' our latest shipment, claiming that some items are missing and ordered to account for it. I have forged inventory papers to prove it should I be questioned. I have done this before but on a smaller scale to prevent the Company from getting wise to missing inventory. I just simply replace the original register with the updated one."

"Good thinking, Gulum-Ei," Karliah said, smiling at the Argonian, impressed. "We were wondering exactly how you were going to handle things on your end."

"Thanks, but it will be the only way I can do this on a larger scale without the Company getting wise." He then slipped them a small map of the inside of the warehouse. "Here you can see where I marked a secret location to the cave. If you ever return here, you can see here the actual cave entrance on the other side of the Solitude. It's secluded there."

"Good work," Gallus nodded.

"So, if there is a little something I want, I can pocket it, right?" Mercer asked, wanting more than they were getting for the job.

"No. We can only take what is on my list. But when we are done, I will let you pick something out for your efforts," the Argonian explained. "Please, I beg you, do not take anything other than what I say because my paperwork does not account for anything else. We do not want the Company to get wind of this little heist of ours."

When they all agreed, and talks were over, the three thieves headed to their respective rooms to get some rest before their late night.

It was just before midnight when the three thieves stood in front of the warehouse door. Karliah and Mercer stood on the lookout to make sure no guard was watching as Gallus opened it with his copied key. He breathed a silent sigh of relief, glad the key worked. Gallus didn't want to waste time lockpicking it.

This time, the three wore their Nightingale armor as it was black and enchanted to make them virtually unnoticeable to the wandering eyes that may get them caught. The boots were also enchanted with muffle to silence their footsteps, though the three were already stealth experts. The three also had a gift from Nocturnal to hide in the shadows for two minutes, but it was only allowed once a day, so they saved it for only when they were desperate. Gulum-Ei would have no way of knowing about the Nightingales, so they didn't worry about his questions when he saw their armor.

It was agreed that Karliah would take the higher ground on the scaffolding used to store more crates to do a headcount on the guards and where they were, precisely, as Gallus and Mercer held back hidden by the entrance. When she returned, she held up seven fingers, headed out with her in the lead, knowing where each guard was located. She could see Gulum-Ei' working' in the distance. 

Gulum-Ei would mark each crate on his list, so the three thieves knew which ones to take, most of which were as close as possible to the secret cave entrance. 

The entire warehouse was relatively dark, which was a benefit to the thieves, yet a hindrance since they couldn't carry torches, but it made for noticing the guards easily. Once they were in the clear, they moved several crates through the cave entrance and just dropped them off close by, not intending to take everything deeper within the cave. That would waste too much time and more risk of getting caught.

Once they removed all the crates on the list for that night inside the cave, they could relax as the four carried the boxes further back into the cave. Gulum-Ei already had an area set up full of scaffolding to store his goods and treasures. When they were finished, the Argonian opened each one to ensure all the crates were full of the correct loot, which were about twenty in total. They contained everything from ancient books, to golden candleholders, to enchanted armor. 

"This is good, very good. It's all here so far. Tomorrow night will be even more. We are going to be wealthy, my friends!" Gulum-Ei exclaimed. "This went really well, and I knew I made the right choice bringing in the Guild. Your expertise precedes you."

The three were sitting on crates, catching their breath, smiling, pleased the Argonian was happy with their work. It was exhausting. Even though there were only twenty crates, they were cumbersome, and their muscles ached.

"We are glad it went well too. Your planning was a big help in making ours go off without a hitch," Gallus said. 

"Yes, by the third night, we should be done. Then I can give you all a gift of your choice. I'm going to stay and catalog everything. You all get some rest. It's nearly dawn, and I will meet you at the same place, same time tomorrow."

"Sounds good," the three thieves mumbled as they left the cave on the other side of Solitude. They were tired and didn't want to walk back the whole way, but they had little choice.

Gulum-Ei had stowed their everyday clothes in a bag in the cave, and the three changed out of their armor and into everyday clothes, carrying their armor back to Solitude for a much-needed sleep.

It was the third night, and they managed to pull off the job so far without a hitch. They had stolen fifty crates and chests so far, leaving only about ten more for that night. It would be an easy job if all went according to plan, and they could be on their way home back to Riften the next day.

Before Karliah and Gallus left their room, he pulled her into an embrace, kissing her. They hadn't been able to make love since they were in Solitude being either busy or exhausted, but Gallus wanted to just hold her for a moment. 

"I have something for you," he said.

"Oh?" she asked. "Is it something naughty? I could use naughty right about now."

Gallus laughed and kissed her forehead. "I wish. Just be prepared for a lot of naughtiness when we get home." He pulled out something from his coat pocket and held it out for her. Dangling from his hand was a silver-chained amulet with a large amethyst in the center. When he saw it, he immediately thought of Karliah and her violet eyes.

"This is beautiful, Gallus!"

"Do you like it? It reminded me of your eyes. Gulum-Ei gave me an early taste of his wares, and I just had to have it for you. It's also enchanted with additional stealth, making you virtually invisible," he explained as he put it around her neck, gently laying the stone on her chest.

"I love it. Thank you, Gallus. You are always looking out for me," she said, giving him a kiss.

"Of course. I love you. I will always do whatever I can to protect you."

"I love you too," Karliah replied, pulling him into an embrace once more, resting her head on his chest.

They headed down to eat, seeing Mercer already at a table waiting for them. He smiled and waved them over as the two sat down.

"Get enough rest, Merc?" Karliah asked.

"Yep, muscles ache, though. Those crates and chests are heavy as Oblivion," he said quietly, laughing.

Mercer was getting quite skilled at masking his jealousies, which have only grown over time. He was tired of looking at the couple in love. All those times, Gallus had told him that he didn't do relationships only to find someone he was willing to break his rule for. Mercer resented the fact that he wasn't enough for Gallus. 

The smile on his face was good enough to mask the seething at watching Karliah play with her new amulet, looking at Gallus with love. Gallus had shown Mercer the gift earlier, and Mercer, like a good friend, patted the man's back encouragingly, explaining that Karliah would love it.

"This is the last day, and then we can head back and relax. Perhaps we should go to the Solitude baths before we leave and relax our tired muscles," Gallus suggested.

"I hate public baths. They don't let me bathe with you," Karliah complained, giving Gallus a kiss once more.

Gallus drew her hand to hold it as he sipped his tea, not wanting to drink any alcohol before their job. "You know what we should do? We should take Loria to Eastmarch for a few days and spend time soaking in the hot springs."

Karliah laughed. "Being in hot springs with you does sound ideal, but not for Loria. They are too hot for a child, but we can think of something else. A short vacation sounds nice."

"I thought about just you and me, but I've already left her home without us for too long already."

"What is up with Loria, anyway?" Mercer asked. "I mean, what plans does Nocturnal have for the girl?" He was genuinely curious as to why Nocturnal would choose to have a child and thrust it at Gallus despite him being the father.

"Nocturnal decided to keep that part to herself except that Loria will grow up to be a part of the Nightingales, to have children of her own and carry on that line. Other than that, your guess is as good as mine. I will train her in the ways of a thief. I would rather not, but those skills will be beneficial to the Nightingales," Gallus explained.

Mercer nodded in understanding. "But there are three of us already. Does Nocturnal believe one of us will die or something? I mean, I'm just curious how Loria will be a part of a group that's supposed to be a trinity."

Gallus shrugged. "I don't know. I'm assuming Loria will most likely have a new and unique role. I cannot imagine Nocturnal forcing her daughter just to do what we are doing. No, I am sure there are greater plans for my daughter."

"That's going to be hard on her, Gallus. You realize that, don't you?" Karliah asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Nocturnal gave you little information except Loria is supposed to be a part of the Nightingales. She may resist that idea unless she understands what is at stake. If you tell her early on who her mother is, she may understand. If you wait too long, she may get angry and resist you. There's going to have to be a fine balance between how much you tell her and don't tell her. You don't want to force this 'you are a chosen one' on her. Some people run from that sort of destiny. Others embrace it. A lot depends on how you handle it."

Gallus sat back and nodded, running a hand through his curls. "Shit, you're right. I've just been thinking about keeping her alive and attended to with love. I didn't think about how she would react to this knowledge."

"Well, we have time to think about it more. Loria's still very young. I would wait maybe until she's about eight or so. It will be an age that's not too old; she will be resentful and not too young that she can't understand."

Gallus pecked Karliah's cheek. "How do you know so much about children?"

"I don't. I just know how I would react."

Mercer was tired of seeing their affection and played his leaving off as he wanted to get cleaned up before the heist tonight.

Despite the rest, after three days of hauling heavy crates, it was taking a toll on their muscles and stamina. It was a good thing they only had ten more boxes to deal with, already having put seven in the cave—three more to go. 

Gallus and Mercer were carrying one unusually heavy crate when the coast was clear once more with Karliah close behind. Unable to carry a container alone, she kept an eye out to protect the two men. Her keen eyesight saw the guard in the distance draw his arrow aiming it right for them, realizing they had been caught. With no other option, no chance to yell a warning, she did the only thing she could think of and jumped right in front of Gallus as the arrow hit her in the chest. 

Gallus felt himself being shoved out of the way as he heard Karliah cry out and crumple to the ground. He and Mercer quickly hid the crate, then Gallus went to pick up a bleeding Karliah, groaning in pain. Not knowing what else to do as the guards were coming closer, he used Nocturnal's cloak to hide them, and Mercer did the same as they made their way into the water, protected by stacks and stacks of crates.

He put a hand to Karliah's mouth to keep her quiet as he held his breath, doing everything he could to keep from panicking at her injury. There was nothing they could do until the guards moved on, looking for the thieves elsewhere. 

Several guards, torches alight, searched the perimeter where the intruders were last seen, one of them scratching their head in confusion. Gallus and Mercer could see the guards, but the guards couldn't see them. Though they were hidden, once uncloaked, they would be easier to find, hoping the guards would hurry up and move on so Gallus could get Karliah healed.

He could see Mercer pulling out his dagger as Gallus shook his head at the man, indicating there was no killing unless absolutely necessary.

Finally, the guards dispersed and went to look elsewhere before the thieves escaped, not wanting to spend too long looking in one area. Their breaths of relief were audible. Gallus looked at Karliah, who had passed out, though he checked for a pulse with a shaking hand to make sure she was still alive. 

The three were close to the secret entrance to the cave and made their way towards it, keeping in the shadows as Gallus carried Karliah, rushing to where Gulum-Ei was sorting and cataloging his goods. 

"What happened?" the Argonian asked.

"Karliah saved my life. Apparently, one of the guards across the waterway saw us and fired an arrow. Mercer and I were carrying a crate, and she just dove in front of the arrow meant for me, shoving me out of the way. Damned she-elf! It's too close to her heart!"

"We have to remove the arrow, Gallus," informed Gulum-Ei. "I have some healing spells, but they aren't powerful." 

"OK, I have some too, and perhaps between us both, we can save her. On the count of three, I'm going to pull out the arrow, and you start healing, then I will join in."

When Gulum-Ei nodded, Gallus counted. "...three!" he yelled, yanking out the arrow, which caused Karliah to scream out in pain. Throwing it aside, he pressed his hands to her wound with Gulum-Ei as the two healed her.

Mercer sat back and watched an upset Gallus take care of Karliah, secretly hoping she wouldn't live through it. He could imagine a grieving Gallus needing the attention of someone to help him through the pain, someone who cared about him. He wanted to thrust a knife in her heart when he heard her start to come to as they were healing her, cursing under his breath.

"How is she?" Mercer asked, not that he cared in the slightest. He asked, always feigning concern and care for his partners, and friends.

"I think she will be fine, thanks," Gallus said, holding her in his arms. They healed her enough so that she would live, but it wasn't enough to fully restore her. They would have to spend a couple of more days in Solitude as she recovered. They didn't want to seek out a proper healer, not wanting to give away that she had been shot by an arrow in case the Company was sending out people looking for someone who was shot.

The next morning, Gallus sent Mercer back home to Riften ahead. There was no point in the man hanging around while Karliah recovered. He also sent a note by courier to his home to let Brynjolf know he was going to be delayed without getting into details. 

"That hurt. Remind me never to get shot by an arrow again," Karliah complained as she was curled up into Gallus, his arm protectively wrapped around her, running light fingers on her bare shoulder.

"Don't you ever fucking do that again," Gallus scolded. He hadn't meant for it to come out as harsh as it did, but he was slightly angry.

"You're welcome," she said in jest.

"I appreciate you saving my life, Karliah, but Nocturnal has our backs. I'm sure that arrow would have missed, and I hate to think you risked your life for nothing."

"Gallus, even the best of thieves, can die, despite Nocturnal's protections, even Nightingales. Look at my mother. She gave her best to Nocturnal, and she still died. I was not about to risk your life on a 'maybe.'" Karliah wanted to get mad at him, but she was too tired and weak. Even that speech wore her out.

Gallus signed, relenting, kissing the top of her head. "You're right. I'm sorry. I...I'm just angry you almost died. I can't bear the thought of losing you. I love you."

"I love you too, horker ass. Next time I save your sorry ass, try to be more appreciative," Karliah demanded and snuggled in tighter to him, combing fingers through his chest hair.

"I will endeavor to kiss your beautiful bottom next time."

"That’s more like it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Skipping forward in time.


	9. Fast Forward

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We jump ahead to nine years. Someone's been stealing from the Guild, Gallus lost the Malloy brothers, someone's trying to steal the Skeleton Key from the Twilight Sepulchre. What else could go wrong?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and we would love to know your thoughts so far in the comments! <3

Gallus poured over the ledgers from the past couple of years, surrounded by large books, a new project of his, as he tried to analyze the discrepancies. It wasn’t overly noticeable to the untrained eye, but Gallus kept rigorous records and catalogs of all the items that came into and left the Guild. He was certain someone was stealing, but he couldn’t figure out who. There could have been errors, but there were too many over a long period for him to brush them off as discrepancies.

The whole thing was frustrating, but not just because Gallus hated the thought that one of his family members was stealing right out from under him. He paid them well, fed them, gave them shelter, protected them, and this was how they repaid him? But it was the fact it was taking his time away from his Eyes of Falmer research. He felt he was getting close, and now he had to set it aside for accounting.

His mood soured when Brynjolf walked into his office in the Cistern, a bag tossed over his shoulder. The boy had grown to be a handsome young man and had excelled at everything Gallus taught him. Brynjolf would make a good leader one day, but he would miss him dearly, though he was not really a boy any longer, being eighteen Winters. Brynjolf was a man.

Gallus was sending him to Markarth to train with the Dibellan priestesses to complete the final part of his training. The boy was too good looking to not put him to good use in the art of seduction, and the priestesses there would train him well. Their training served Gallus well and helped him succeed as a leader of the Guild. But Gallus couldn’t just thrust the boy at them. He needed to make sure Brynjolf wanted to go to finish his training and wouldn’t have objected had Brynjolf chosen to stay.

“Well, I’m going,” Brynjolf said, pouting about having to leave his home for the next year.

“You don’t have to go, Bryn. Yes, it would be good to complete all your training, but I’m not going to cram this down your throat.”

“And pass up each evening with a lovely lady?” Brynolf joked, but part of him wanted to stay because it was home, though he had no qualms about finishing his training.

Gallus stood and laughed, pulling Brynjolf into a sad goodbye embrace. “From what I remember of my days at the temple, you, my boy, are going to have a great time.”

“Yeah, well...it’s not going to stop me from missing you all.”

“I know, Bryn. I’m going to miss you too, all of us are, more than you know. But it will be good for you to get away, have a taste of the world around you outside of the Rift. You’re a man now, and you should explore adulthood.”

“I guess.”

“Write, please...frequently. Let us know how you are doing. Do try to stay out of trouble in Markarth. Crime is rampant there, but punishment is brutal if you’re caught. You don’t want to be thrown into the silver mines.”

Brynjolf looked down at his toes and nodded. “I guess this is goodbye then.”

“Only for a year, Bryn. It will go by faster than you know.”

After nearly ten years, Brynjolf was like a son to him, tearing up a bit and seeing him walk away to make his mark into adulthood.

Gallus nearly jumped out of his skin when Loria appeared out of thin air, more like emerging silently from the shadows of his room, not realizing she was there. “Sweetheart, you are going to give your father a heart attack one day. Do you have to do that all the time?”

“Sorry, Papa,” she said as she ran to him weeping.

Gallus picked her up and held her. Loria was getting nearly too big to carry anymore at eight Summers. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m going to miss Bryn!”

“I know, Lor, we all are, but he will be back before you know it. Come on, let’s go home and eat dinner. We can stop by one of the vendor stands and bring home some sweet rolls for dessert,” he said, putting down his daughter and grabbing all his paperwork and ledgers, not trusting anyone to leave them there. 

The girl livened up at the mention of sweet rolls, wiping away her tears and followed her father to their home.

Gallus was curled up with Karliah that night in bed, Loria long fast asleep, as they talked about their day. “Someone’s stealing, Karl, I can feel it.”

“You sure about this?”

“Yes, it’s subtle, and over the course of a couple of years, and while seemingly random, there is no mistake. The only question is who.”

“Hmm, what about someone who came on board at that time it all started?”

“I’ve thought about it, but it’s hard to say. I have no proof. I can’t imagine the young ones being clever enough to doctor paperwork and steal right out from under our noses without noticing until now. No, this is someone more experienced. Someone who knows how much attention I pay to inventory.”

“Who else has access to the paperwork beside me?”

“Well, there’s Mercer, of course, Brynjolf and Delvin.”

“All experienced and good at what they do, but there is no way it could be Bryn. I’m going to be honest, Gallus. I never understood what you saw in Mercer. I find him to be cruel behind that smile of his. I never trusted him.”

“He’s a hard man because he lost everything, Karl. One can hardly blame him, but he’s never done wrong by me.”

Karliah had her doubts, but she trusted Gallus’ judgment. “So, you think it’s Delvin then?”

“No, I don’t. I don’t know!” Gallus groaned into his pillow, frustrated. “But I need to figure this out and get rid of them before they end up stealing too much. How will it make me look as their leader if I cannot even control my own people? Thieves are a twitchy bunch as it is, and if they see any sign of weakness on my part, they could quickly turn against me.”

Karliah gave him a kiss on the cheek and held him. “Never! Who would turn against you? They all love you, Gallus. You have brought them more wealth than they could ever dream, and you have shown the utmost loyalty to them.”

“All but one.”

Gallus was sitting at the desk in the Cistern, pouring over the night’s haul when Glover walked up to him nervously. Gallus looked up as he saw the man approach, dreading whatever bad news he was going to dish out as it was evident on the nervous man’s face. Gallus didn’t need any more bad news. 

“Hey, Gallus.”

“Glover…” he said warily.

“Look, uhm, I don’t know how to say this, but uhm, I’m gonna leave the Guild.”

“You mind telling me why? You’ve been great to have around here with your blacksmithing skills. I sure would hate for you to leave.”

The man was fidgeting as if uncertain what to do, but looking as if he wanted to talk.

“Can we talk...privately?”

Gallus nodded and led the way to his old bedroom that he used for a private office with Glover close in tow.

“Alright, we are private. So do you mind telling why you’re leaving?”

“Thanks, Gallus. Yeah, uhm, well...I don’t want to do it, but I love her, ya know? She’s got a pig farm, and, well, I told her I would help out.”

“I have a hard time seeing you as a pig farmer, Glover.”

Glover chuckled, “I know. I would rather be doing blacksmithing, but you know how it is when you love someone.”

“Do you really love her that much? A pig farm, Glover?”

“Yeah, I want to try it. Maybe it’s good I go legit. I never really wanted to be a thief anyway and only followed Del around.”

Gallus shook his head in disappointment. “Look, I am not your parent. I’m not going to hold your hand. If you feel you have to do this, then go. I’m not going to stop you, but believe me when I tell you, you’re going to be missed around here.”

“Thanks,” Glover nodded.

“Well, good luck to you, Glover, and you are always welcome back should you change your mind. You will always have a home here.”

“Thanks, Gallus,” Glover said and left as quickly as he could before he changed his mind.

Gallus went back to go over paperwork again, not happy to be losing a valuable member of the Guild, but he wasn’t going to stop the man. If Karliah decided one day not to be a thief and do something else, who knows, perhaps he too would follow her, though it was hard to imagine not leading the Guild.

It didn’t take long, nearly two weeks, before trouble hit the Guild again, this time something more serious than the thefts and losing their blacksmith. The bad news came in the form of late-night banging on Gallus’ door. He grumbled about being woken up in the middle of the night, as Karliah rolled over to go back to sleep. He put on his robe and went to answer it.

Gallus was greeted with a bloody Delvin, clearly injured and looking nervous, not wanting to get caught by the guards. “What in Oblivion is this, Delvin! Why are you covered in blood,” Gallus hissed, dragging the man inside.

Karliah, unable to sleep, came out to see what was going on, shocked to see Delvin covered in blood. “What’s happened, were you injured?”

“Yea, bloody bastard got me,” Delvin said, moving his hand away from a stab wound in his side.

Gallus cursed and put a healing hand on Delvin as the man sighed in relief not to be in as much pain. “Thanks, fer that.”

“Karliah, would you mind grabbing some rags and a bucket of water so he can clean himself up?” Then he turned back to Gallus. “Alright, out with it. What happened?”

“I was at this noble’s house like breakin’ in ‘cause we got word that this man...noble, had some valuables and baubles, expensive baubles. It was supposed to be a simple job...in and out.”

“Clearly something went wrong,” Karliah said when she came back with water and rags.

“Aye, the bastard came home early. We watched good and long, Gal, we did. He would leave and be gone most of the day...easier in the day, as you taught us with people workin’ and all. Quiet as a mouse, he was, came in musta seen us go in. Stabbed, my partner then stabbed me, but I got ‘im good. Afraid he’s dead, boss. I made a right mess of things.”

Gallus rubbed his face with frustrated hands, growling quietly. “Fuck. How much do we have to clean up, Del? And where is your partner?”

“She ran in the other direction, I reckon. I...I didn’t hang around. I just ran back ‘ere as quick as I could.”

Gallus started pacing back and forth, trying to figure out what to do. “Did anyone else see you go in or out of the house? Did this man tell anyone he suspected thievery?”

That’s when the truth came out as Delvin sighed, dropping his head to his chest in shame. “Yeah, some guards saw and chased after me. I gave them the slip, but…”

Gallus wanted to yell out but didn’t want to wake Loria. 

“It probably wasn’t the best idea to come back here, Del,” Karliah said. “You could have sent word, and we could have sent you some gold or something.”

“I wanna get back ‘ere to warn ya right quick that guards might be comin’.”

Gallus went to his desk and wrote something on parchment, folded, and sealed it.

“Alright, here’s what we do. A new friend of mine is in the Dark Brotherhood. She’s young and rising in the ranks, and I needed someone on the inside...just in case. You know how I feel about murder, Delvin, but dammit, better than you dead.

You are to go to Falkreath. I will circle the place on your map. Ask for Astrid, and stay with the Dark Brotherhood for a while, lay low. There will be no way anyone will be able to find you there. Burn that map, Del when you are done, and memorize your way!”

“You’re a good man, Gal. I don’t know what to say.”

“You’re a good man too, Del. I like you...we like you and don’t want to see you executed for this. You’ve done so much for the Guild. Just lay low for a year or so and return. If I feel it is too hot for you to get back by then, I will send word.”

Gallus gave Delvin casual clothes to change into after he cleaned up all the blood off of him, some gold and food, then sent him on his way to Astrid in Falkreath.

“I can’t sleep, Karl. I’m going to work on more Falmer language. I’m just too wound up. Dammit, Del!”

“I’m sorry, Gallus. He will be missed.”

“Everything seems to be going wrong lately!”

Karliah rubbed his shoulders as he sat down with his Falmer language book and journal of his translations. “It may seem that way, but it will be fine. Everyone has their ups and downs. It’s a wonder it hasn’t happened sooner as this Guild has been so successful, thanks to you.”

“I just don’t like to feel out of control.”

“Don’t I know it,” she teased, kissing his head. “I’m going back to bed. Try not to stay up too late.”

The next morning, when Gallus entered the Cistern, news had spread fast about what happened to Delvin and what Gallus did for him to protect their fellow thief and respected friend. There were embraces, handshakes, claps on the back, and applause as the thieves showed respect for their Guild Master. 

Mercer watched as he leaned back on the stone wall roiling in internal disgust, showing nothing on his face, as Gallus was treated almost better than most gods. It pissed him off to no end, seething inside. Mercer was the main leader, doing most of the work and providing work for the Guild, not Gallus, who was busy with children, lovers, and treasure hunting. Why should Gallus get all the respect and deference? Mercer was sick of it. 

All his years at the Guild, and he still only came in as third best next to that bitch Karliah. The woman who stole Gallus from him. It should have been different. He should have been with Gallus, and he should have been the one the people cheered on. Why should they love Gallus? He did nothing for them. Gallus did one thing for Delvin, and the people thought he was the High fucking King.

“Alright, alright...settle down. I appreciate the sentiment,” Gallus said as he walked to stand in the middle of the small bridge where he liked to give his speeches. “Look, no need to applaud me. I did what I have always done, and that is to protect each and every one of you. You know this. I treated Delvin no differently than I would have treated you…”

That only made the thieves applaud once more. Even telling them not to clap, and that they did anyway disgusted Mercer further as he listened to what Gallus had to say, knowing he was soaking up the ego trip.

“Please...thank you, but really, we are family, and I will protect you all as I have always promised I would. Hey, loyalty goes both ways. I expect no less from you all,” Gallus explained, hoping the thief who was stealing from him would stop doing what he was doing or come forward. “Always remember we are family and we protect each other. 

Now on to Delvin. You heard what happened. These things can happen even to the best of us, so I’m telling you to be extra careful. The guards are hunting him, and I suggest we stay away from that area for a while. But Delvin will be fine, and he’s safe, for now. If anyone comes here looking for him, remember, we never heard of him. Is that understood?” 

Everyone nodded and dispersed when Gallus was done talking.

Gallus walked up to Mercer and clapped him on the back, believing they were still best friends. “What a crazy fucking night,” Gallus sighed and sat down at the desk they shared in the Cistern. “I’m pissed we lost such a great thief, but I hope it’s only temporary.”

“Bad news, indeed, Gal. I hope we get him back, too,” Mercer lied.

“You heard what I said, right? Let’s not send anyone in that area for a while. I’m sure the guards are watching closely for more thieving and now murder,” Gallus ordered.

“You got it.”

“Good man! I knew I could count on you. You’re a good friend, Merc. Alright, I’m off to inventory the evening’s haul.

Gallus walked to his old bedroom slash office to work. He wanted to approach Mercer about the inventory loss over the past two years, but while he trusted the man, he wasn’t one hundred percent certain. The only one Gallus could fully trust was Karliah. He didn’t believe it was Mercer, but he wasn’t taking any chances of tipping him off if it was.

Mercer scoffed at Gallus’ back as he walked away. So much for being a great leader, who couldn’t even tell his ‘best friend’ was stealing right out from under his nose. At first, Mercer took a couple of items just to see if he could, then it turned into an act of passive-aggressivity to get back at Gallus. But the more he stole, the more he wanted. Mercer was becoming greedy, the desire to achieve noble status again as he was in his youth was driving him.

At the end of each night, Mercer himself would put up the gold and stolen items in the massive storage room under tight lock, which took two people to open it. One was usually Delvin, but with him gone, he would probably have to deal with Gallus or Karliah, who both possessed a key. That meant he could no longer steal as the items were stored for the night. He would have to take before-hand.

As Mercer grew more greedy, he had dreams of the ultimate theft. He wanted to eventually steal everything from the Guild. The only way to do that was to have a master lockpicking set, but none could penetrate the storage door. The only thing that would open that door when he was alone was the Skeleton Key in Nocturnal’s Temple, Twilight Sepulchre. He had been wanting to find a way to steal it without Gallus or Karliah knowing.

Mercer had done extensive research on Nocturnal over the years, not to find the Key for he knew where it was, but to see what her wrath would be if she found out. According to lore, she praised those who could steal from her without her knowing and rewarded them. If he could take the Skeleton Key right under her nose, he would be rewarded, and it would allow him to steal everything from the Guild, which would hurt and punish Gallus. 

He smiled at the thought as he made plans for the ultimate theft.

“Fuck! What else could go wrong!” Gallus yelled, not meaning to upset Loria, who rushed up to him and held him. 

“What’s wrong, Papa?”

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. It’s nothing, just some work problems. It’s nothing I can’t handle. Go on now and play with your dolls while I talk to Karliah.”

Loria’s nebula eyes misted with water, not happy when her father was upset, but did as she was told.

Karliah sat down in front of him, grabbing his hand. “It was the dream from last night, wasn’t it?”

“You had it too, then? I wondered. Yes, the Shadows were warning us, I believe. We better get ready to go to Falkreath. Twilight Sepulchre is going to be under attack soon, according to the Shadows. We need to do whatever it takes to protect her.”

“Yes, agreed. I will pack up, and you get Mercer ready. I’m sure he received the dream as well,” Karliah said.

The three Nightingales rushed to the Twilight Sepulchre on their horses as fast as they could. They had no time to waste, unsure when the enemy would arrive, hoping they made it there on time. 

Gallus was trying to figure out who could possibly have found Twilight Sepulchre. He knew it was periodically under attack a few times over the centuries, but it was rare. It would take someone with a vast knowledge of Nocturnal to find it. He had only found it because he had discovered a particular book on how to do so, often wondering if Nocturnal had set up the whole thing. He wouldn’t have put it past her, but he had no regrets.

“I hope there aren’t too many of them. We may not be able to fight off an army of them,” Gallus yelled as they pushed their horses, finally making it to Falkreath Hold, though the Temple was still far to the West. 

“They are going to be difficult anyway as it takes someone with great skill and knowledge to find it in the first place,” Karliah said.

The three were tired when they finally arrived at the Temple, hiding on top of a short cliff looking down to see who might be standing guard. Sure enough, two men in a strange type of mage’s robes were standing there. “Magic,” Karliah whispered, realizing what they were going to have to contend with.

“Yes, let’s be careful. Karliah, take them out with your bow, please.”

Karliah was an excellent marksman and took them out before the second one noticed the first was dead. The three then jumped down and made their way inside the Temple. The Shadows were on their side as they protected the Nightingales from being seen as they made their way deeper inside the Temple. 

“Keep one alive,” Gallus whispered when they came up to about four mages on guard. They were too relaxed, assuming there were more of them deeper inside. 

All three, cloaked in shadow, reemerged in front of the mages, shocked when they saw people clad in black, faces hidden behind masks. Those faces soon turned to shock as they were quickly killed with poisoned daggers. The mages didn’t stand a chance, all but one who was left intentionally alive as he blasted them with electricity. 

The Nightingales were agile as they rolled and darted out of the way. Mercer reached the mage first from behind and took a blade to his throat. “Who are you?” he demanded. “Tell us now, and I will give you a quick death. Stay silent, and you die slowly and painfully.”

“Fuck you, I’m not afraid and happy to tell you who we are! We are the Vigilants of Stendarr! We hunt all that is vile and profane. We hunt witches, werewolves, vampires, but especially Daedra. They are beyond redemption! They corrupt the very soul of all they touch. We hunt them in the name of divine Stendarr, the God of Mercy and Justice! We will find the Skeleton Key, enter Nocturnal’s realm, and kill her! There are too many of us to stop! We hunt them in the name of Stendarr!”

“That’s all we need to know,” Mercer said as he slowly drew his dagger across the Vigil’s throat, smiling as he collapsed dead to the ground.

“Great, nothing like deranged cultists to really make the day fantastic,” Gallus groaned.

As the three Nightingales made their way deeper into the Temple, they came to a shadowed chamber. It was a test of Nocturnal’s faithful. It was apparent that several Vigilants didn’t understand that the light would instantly kill them, seeing several dead bodies on the ground. The three kept to the shadows until they reached Nocturnal’s shrine with no more Vigilants in sight. “Perhaps they all died?” Gallus asked, hopefully.

By the time they reached Nocturnal’s portal, the Evergloam, there were two Vigilants left. They took no notice of the silent trio as they melded in with the shadows, silently creeping up behind the two mages who were struggling to grab the Skeleton Key, which was floating above the portal, open for anyone to take. 

The two mages crumpled to the ground dead as the three removed their masks, breathing a sigh of relief that the Key was still intact. They made it just in time, barely.

“Thank the Shadows that protected us and stopped the Vigilants before it was too late. Can you imagine Nocturnal’s punishment?” Karliah asked.

“I am definitely grateful to the Shadows, but at least it wasn’t too terribly difficult. I was expecting worse. I was also wondering, honestly, how it all worked. How would we know when to protect the Temple, now we do.”

“Yes, good thing we received a warning through dreams,” she replied.

“Good job getting information out of that Vigilant, Mercer,” Gallus offered. “I have a feeling it won’t be the last we see of them. If they hunt Daedra, then they know quite a bit about them. We will have to keep close to the Shadows so we can keep Nocturnal protected.”

“Indeed,” Mercer said, in a better mood than he had been in the past eight years. Before him was the perfect opportunity to steal the Skeleton Key for his own purposes. He imagined going through any door or portal. Nothing would be able to stop him. He would be the wealthiest and most powerful man in all of Tamriel.

As soon as Karliah and Gallus made their way through the portal to exit the Temple, not having to go back where they came from, Mercer was alone, and he only needed seconds to take the Key for himself. He didn’t wait to see if he would be punished or not, not wanting Gallus or Karliah to look back, wondering where he went. 

The smile on his face grew as he felt no punishment from the Shadows or Nocturnal. Life was going to be good here on out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know when exactly Mercer stole the Skeleton Key, but I'm sure it wasn't at this point, but we set up the story for this point for him to steal it. Delvin going to the DB because he murdered someone is canon as well as Glover leaving to work on a pig farm with his new love.
> 
> Next: A little Brynjolf character development in Markarth


	10. The Art of Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Here we see Brynjolf a new man in a new world, the strange world of Markarth, so different from the Rift. He's on a journey to learn about the art of love at the Temple of Dibella.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a touch of character development for Brynjolf in how he kinda gets to be...Brynjolf, everyone's favorite bad boy.
> 
> NSFW content.

Brynjolf had never been out of the Rift before as he rode on his horse, seeing the gleaming city of Markarth in the distance. The whole region looked so alien to him with the craggy, half-dead trees, the scent of juniper, and dry land. Even the architecture in the distance was vastly different than what he was used to. Already he was missing the orange-leaved birch tree forest, soft breezes, and lush greenery. 

Even the people were strange. Gallus had forced Brynjolf to read several books on the area to familiarize himself. One book mentioned the Forsworn, who were Bretons, fighting for the Reach to be their territory claiming it was their land. As he passed clans, he knew they must have been the Forsworn, looking more tribal than an organized race, eying him warily as the young man passed, trying to keep to the road as he was instructed.

The stables were outside the city walls, so he paid the man running the stables to take good care of his horse for a year while he stayed in Markarth with the gold Gallus gave him. Gallus would send more each month to pay for Brynjolf's stay and training at the Temple of Dibella.

As soon as Brynjolf entered the city, his jaw dropped in awe at its vastness. It was like the whole city was carved into the mountain itself, and perhaps it was. Waterfalls cascaded down between homes and buildings with lush plant life. The buildings were stacked upon buildings and long flights of stone steps to reach the top that was nearly as tall as the mountain itself. The Dwemer really knew how to build, he thought in wonder. 

The young thief had to ask around where the Temple of Dibella was, the people giving him knowing glances and smirks knowing what that handsome young Nord had planned. He didn't care because they weren't wrong. He was there for one purpose, to fulfill his training in the art of love and seduction. Who better to teach him than the Priestesses who worshiped the Goddess of love and beauty.

The flight of stairs was long and high, and if he weren't young, he would have struggled. Regardless, he was out of breath, leg muscles burning, by the time he reached the top. The smell of something familiar, incense perhaps, wafted through the air the closer he got to the Temple. Were those doors gold, he wondered as he ran a hand across the ornate metal. Taking a deep breath, he entered to be greeted with the strong incense he smelled outside.

Brynolf looked around the Temple. There was a constant thrum of sound that never seemed to stop and soon started to get on the young man's nerves. Despite the sound, the temple itself looked comfortable with flowers, pillows, candles tucked corners. For a place of love, the women were unexpectedly fully covered in robes and hoods. He couldn't see their faces very well or tell what they looked like underneath. One of the Priestesses slowly walked up to him and gave him a slight bow. 

"I am Xandria. I am the High Priestess here at the Temple. You must be Brynjolf. Gallus has sent word, with coin, of your arrival. Welcome," she explained, her voice deep, yet soft and delicate.

"Uhm...thanks," the young man said, uncertain of what to do, shifting foot to foot, suddenly feeling awkward.

"I will have one of my girls show you where you will be staying in a minute, but first, I must go over some ground rules." When he nodded in agreement, she went on. "The first rule is, while you stay with us, you will respect the girls' privacy. They will guide you and teach you, but you will not pursue them in any way except for your time in training. Is that understood?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"The second rule is, no trying to woo them into a relationship or marriage. We priestesses devote our lives to Dibella. We do not marry or...date," she explained with a hint of distaste in her voice. "Do you understand?"

"Aye."

"The third rule is each morning, you will pray at Dibella's shrine before breakfast. If you are to use our teachings, you must worship her in return. It is because of the Goddess that we are able to assist you."

"I understand," he said.

"Good. That's it, those are the rules. Other than that, you are free to come and go, explore the city, make some friends, find a girl."

Xandria reached over to touch his face with cool fingers. "Beautiful eyes. Yes, with your looks, you will easily find women interested in you. We have to refine you, then you will have them eating out of your hand. Do you have any questions?"

Brynjolf nodded. "Yes, uhm, when do my teachings start, and how often?"

"First, you will eat and bathe. You must be clean at all times. A couple of the girls will help you wash properly, so I am sure you won't complain too much. Each evening after dinner, you will be greeted by a different girl four times a week, all trained in different love and seduction techniques. We start tonight after you are clean and rested."

Brynjolf's stomach slightly turned, not in fear, but in excitement, yet there was still a tinge of nervousness. Most young men fumbled through sex their first time through trial and error, he knew from what his friends told him. But he was lucky to be taught how to do it all the right way. He could think of worse life lessons.

Xandria motioned for two Priestesses to come over. "Please show Brynjolf where he will be sleeping, have him bathed, and fed, please."

The two Priestesses bowed, and each grabbed Brynjolf's hands, leading him through the Temple. He was excited to be holding the hands of two women despite not being able to see their faces, but his pleasure died down when he saw where he would be sleeping. It wasn't that the room wasn't lovely, it was. It was the bed. The bed was made of stone, wondering how people could sleep on such beds.

"It's stone…" was all he uttered.

"Yes, they are old Dwemer beds. We agree with you, but there is a down-stuffed mattress in the trunk with blankets. We take care of our backs around here," the girl giggled.

"That's a relief."

"Put down your things, and we will show you to the baths," said the other girl, whose voice was a bit deeper.

"Will I ever get to see your faces?"

"Of course, but while we are in our Priestess robes, we must keep our heads covered," said the other, giggling again.

Brynjolf rested his head back on the stone bath, enjoying the hot soak and steam penetrating his tired skin, waiting for someone to come in and bathe him as he was instructed.

After a few moments, two young women walked in wearing scantily clad robes, and the young man wondered why they bothered, showing so much flesh. They were both beautiful, and if he were a betting man, he would bet they were all beautiful since Dibella was the Goddess of love and beauty. The taller woman was a Nord with long blonde hair carefully braided, trailing down over her shoulder. The other young woman was an Imperial with long wavy ebony hair.

As if reading his mind, the Nord woman answered the question he had been thinking, "We wear these for two reasons. One, we do not want to ruin our formal robes while bathing you. But the main reason is for temptation. There is something about a man or a woman revealing just enough for the mind to wonder and wander. Being fully naked works, but not nearly as much as how we are dressed as you use your imagination as to what we really look like under this."

She wasn't lying as the young man hardened not just from her appearance but also how she explained it.

"My name is Grundi. I will be your teacher in the art of seduction and temptation," she went on.

"And I am Celina. I will be your teacher in the art of love-speak and tenderness," she giggled. 

Brynjolf realized Celina was the one earlier who frequently giggled as he smiled in return. "I'm Brynjolf."

"We know," they said in unison.

He was glad the warm waters already made his sensitive and freckled skin red because he could feel the blush spreading throughout his body as he hardened with their touch. He knew in the back of his mind they didn't care and that he was probably supposed to be aroused, but it wasn't something he was used to, not having been around women intimately before.

"Is this your first time," Celine asked.

"Uhm, aye," he answered, unable to hide his embarrassment.

She giggled again. "I'm sorry, I'm not giggling at you. I just remember when it was my first time. I was mortified and so nervous! But you needn't worry about us. We will make you feel comfortable in no time, and you will enjoy yourself during your stay, I assure you," she explained, as she was washing between his legs, not helping his embarrassment.

"Am I to be bathed like this all the time," he asked, unsure whether he liked it. Sure he enjoyed being touched, but the embarrassment was a bit much.

"We can if you wish. We would be happy to, but right now, we are showing you the proper way to bathe yourself to achieve the utmost cleanliness," Grundi explained. "What would you like?"

"I...I don't know…"

"You are going to have to learn confidence and answering directly when it comes to lovemaking," Grundi instructed. 

"Well, honestly, I'm a nervous wreck, but I like it."

The Nord woman smiled knowingly, "Yes, I can see that. Well, you think about it and let one of us know for your next bath. In the meantime, please pay attention to how we bathe you."

After his bath, Brynjolf paced in his room nervously, his robe open, uncertain of what to expect. He had a good idea, but he didn't know if they were going to get right into it or how it all worked. He was rubbing his clammy hands on his robe when there was a knock on the door. Striding over to the door, he opened it to Celine, who had a red robe on, but just as open as the other she wore earlier, exposing soft flesh of the legs and cleavage.

"Uhm, hi," he said, groaning inwardly at the lameness of his greeting.

"Yes, we are going to have to work on that," she giggled, noticing his grimace. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"

"Oh, uhm, aye...come in."

Celine sauntered in the room and turned to face him. "The first thing you do when greeting a lady, is to look her in the eyes, a smile, even a slight one is nice with a bow to the head, and then you ask her 'would you like to come in?'"

Brynjolf did as he was instructed as she gave him a slight bow of her head and thanked him.

"So, you said you teach tenderness and love-speak? What does that mean exactly?"

"It means you don't rush into the sex. It means you are thoughtful of your partner's every need and are ready with the proper communication. Many women prefer tenderness, but there are some who...well, enjoy the rougher side of things and dirty talk. I will teach you the former."

"Will we...uhm, you know…?" Brynjolf asked, doing some strange body movement that must have implied sex.

"Don't be crude," she scolded but giggled nonetheless. "No, not this time. We are going to work on the build-up, the seduction, the preparation. Are you ready?"

"Aye," he nodded.

"Good watch and listen, interact when I say so," Celine ordered as she walked over to him. "Imagine I am your lover, and we are going to make love for the first time. Gently wrap your arms around my waist and pull me in for a soft embrace. Do not squeeze. Delicacy here is what you want."

Brynjolf did as she asked, feeling his nerves make his hands shake, and pulled her body against his, already hardening and blushing.

"Good...Brynjolf, you cannot shut your eyes. I know you are nervous, but you must maintain eye contact. Show her that you are solely focused on her and nothing else, even if you're worried or embarrassed. It also conveys confidence. It is OK to harden, you want that. The fact that she knows that will make her feel good that her presence causes that much desire in you. Use that.

Now for the kiss. You are much taller than I, so bend down as I reach for you. Don't force a woman to stand on her tippy toes just to reach you. Then press your lips to mine and softly. Don't slam heads and rush it unless that is what the mood calls for. For now, we are focusing on tenderness, every touch has a purpose. Your lips should be loose and soft and relaxed. Once our lips touch, we will open our mouths and insert our tongues. From there, you will follow my lead."

"Aye," the young man said, eager for his first kiss even if she wasn't a real lover. He gently pulled Celine in tighter, but not too tight, leaned down and pressed his lips to hers and opened his mouth as he was instructed, feeling the intrusion of her tongue. It was a strange and unexpected sensation, but he grew to like it. Following her lead, he did his best to mimic the Priestess, soon getting a bit carried away as his kiss became more harried."

Celine pushed the young man away, giggling. "Gently. I know you are eager, but if you're going to seduce her, you have to be calm and purposeful. You also don't want it to appear contrived, try to make it feel natural, but that comes with experience."

"I like that," he said, slightly out of breath.

"Good, you should!"

After a couple of hours of teaching Brynjolf how to touch, remove clothes, kiss flesh, and say sweet things to his lover, Celine left for the night, much to his disappointment. He wanted more, realizing he desperately needed relief as well. The whole lesson hardened him to the point he felt like he was about to burst, nearly painful. 

Unable to wait, Brynjolf braced himself with a hand against the wall, leaning in as he grabbed his hardness in his other hand. He tried to stroke slowly and build it up, but he was impatient for release. He fantasized, taking Celine in his bed, imagining what it would be like to fuck her as he stroked faster. Brynjolf never had sex, so he was left to his imagination to what it was actually like as he envisioned thrusting in and out of her. It didn't take long for him to explode, stifling his groans as he spilled on the floor. As he came down from his orgasmic high, he rested his head on the cold stone and calmed his breathing.

He cleaned up his mess, and Brynjolf laid down, quickly falling asleep filled with lustful dreams.

Brynolf sat sipping on his ale and eating some dinner at the Silver-Blood Inn to get out of the Temple for a while and a change of scenery. He had been training for nearly seven months, and it was probably the most enjoyment he had ever had in his short life. They had taught him everything he needed to know about lovemaking, and he was routinely surprised they could still train him something new. It was nearly mind-boggling. 

He would always look back on his loss of virginity fondly, knowing others weren't as lucky. His first time wasn't even about a lesson, really. Brigette, a Nord, who trained in the arts of male pleasures, was assigned to Brynjolf to help him lose his virginity, the main focus being his enjoyment, so he had something to happily look back on. Brynjolf remembered how terrified he was, but more than eager. Brigette was patient and kind as he learned adequately, making him feel comfortable. And, oh, how much better it was than his hand! He had to be careful with such thoughts in public, not wanting to embarrass himself.

His year would be up in five months, and while he enjoyed his training, he was eager to get back home, missing his family. Brynjolf felt he had learned all he needed to, but the agreement was for a year, then he could return home. Brynjolf, at nineteen Winters, was eager to put his lessons into practice. Gallus learned the arts, but with men as well, that was something Brynjolf wasn't interested in, sticking with just women.

Speaking of women, Brynjolf turned his head towards the Inn's entrance to see a woman walk in, covered in a cloak and hood. He was going to go back to his meal, uninterested when she removed her hood, and long blonde hair spilled out. It wasn't just blonde, but nearly white, such a contrast to her dark brows and eyes. If he thought the Priestesses of Dibella were stunning, then she was the Goddess herself. She was Breton by the looks of it. 

In his entire time in Markarth, she was the first woman he was interested in getting to know. He smoothed out his shoulder-length hair, making sure there were no tangles, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, washed out his mouth of food with his ale, and watched to see where she went. 

This would be the perfect time to use all that he was taught to win this woman over. Brynjolf had to have her. He straightened his tunic, smoothing out wrinkles, and walked over to her table with as much confidence as he could muster despite his nerves.

The woman rolled her eyes inward, already being approached by a man before she barely sat down. She had to admit he was quite handsome and well-built, better than most of the men who come to bother her. He was probably a brute like the rest, though, she thought. Most Nords were.

Brynjolf gave the woman a slight bow, keeping eye contact with her as he was taught. "My lady, forgive me for being so forward, but I would simply like to purchase you a drink, then I will be on my way. If it is improper, I will leave you be, but I thought you might enjoy a drink of your choice as it looks as if you have had a long day."

"Do I look tired to you?" the woman asked, a dark eyebrow raised.

"Not in the slightest, but the dust on your shoes and edges of your cloak, with a smattering on your nose, looks as if you have had a long journey. You chose to come here first to relax and have a drink before you bothered to clean up, indicating you are tired and want to relax before the busy business of cleanliness. I meant no offense, lass."

"Lass, is it? I am older than you, of that I am certain. You are yet still a boy."

Brynjolf smirked and gave her a nod of his head. "Perhaps. It appears to be that I have succeeded in insulting my lady further. I apologize and will leave you be," he said, bowing once more, but in disappointment, and started to walk away before she called him back.

"I will take that drink," she said calmly as he was walking away. She enjoyed his demeanor and pleased he didn't gush over her appearance as if that was all she was.

"What would you like?" 

"Cryrodiilic Brandy, if you will...if it's not too much."

Brynjolf bowed once more and ordered her a drink at the bar. When he returned, goblet in hand, he placed it on the table and walked back to his food.

"Are you leaving me here to drink all alone? You bought it for me, the least you could do is sit down and chat with me for a minute."

He smiled at her, bowing his head. "My name is Brynjolf," he said as he sat down after grabbing his own drink.

"I'm Gwendolyn. It is a pleasure to meet you. You are quite the gentleman for one so young."

"I have been striving to learn to be respectful to women. I don't want to be a mere brute."

One drink soon turned into four then five as the two laughed and joked and told stories. Brynjolf was enthralled with Gwendolyn, who insisted he call her Gwen. The more they talked and drank, the closer they sat together, conversations soon turned to the more intimate nature. 

Brynjolf was shoulder to shoulder with Gwen, staring into her dark eyes, getting lost in them. She was so beautiful, and for him to be successful in grabbing her attention, he wanted more. "Can I kiss you?"

"Not here. Come. I got a room earlier when I was ordering some snacks. I would enjoy very much kissing you, Bryn, and quite possibly more."

They grabbed their drinks, and he followed her to her room, a broad smile plastered on his face when she had her back to him. As soon as she shut her door, she jumped at him, arms around his neck, lips pressed to his. His eyes widened, not expecting these turn of events so quickly, thinking he had to seduce her first. But his senses returned to him as he responded to Gwen's eagerness. 

They pawed at each other as they quickly removed their clothes, flinging them on the floor. Brynjolf eased her back into the bed, lying down he pressed delicate kisses down her body. "No, just in me," she ordered, knowing what he was about to do.

But he didn't listen as he worked his way down, closer to her thighs before she pulled him up. He looked at her with confusion on his face, assuming women wanted his face between their legs. "What's wrong? Don't you like it?" he asked.

"I love it, but I have been traveling, and I have yet to bathe. I guess I should have thought of that first before dragging you to my room."

Brynjolf gave up listening and continued to work his kisses between her legs, shushing her. She was too concerned as he ran a tongue through her folds. Gwen quit protesting, hissing, at the feeling of his tongue on her sensitive nerves. Instead of pulling him up, her fingers tangled in his red hair, giving up just to enjoy the moment. 

She quickly felt the familiar heat build-up between her legs, wondering where such a young man got to be so talented with his tongue. Every time she thought she was about to explode, it was as if he knew it and would stop, kissing or licking her elsewhere until she was finally begging him to finish her. Gwen nearly screamed as he answered her pleas, finally exploding and giving in to her release. 

"By the Gods," she groaned. "You are...very good at that...and so young!"

"I aim to please," Brynjolf replied, smiling, giving her soft kisses on her face.

"Please, you did...now will you finally be in me?"

"I don't need to be told twice," he laughed, rewarding her with a passionate kiss before he slipped into her warm wetness. Brynjolf groaned himself at feeling her. Each woman felt different, and she was tighter than he had felt before, knowing it wouldn't take him long, so he tried to take his time. 

His slow thrusts were intentional to not build too quickly as he distracted himself by kissing her neck and throat while caressing her breasts. "You feel so good," he whispered, smiling as he felt her wet more than before to his words. This helped speed up his thrusts, he didn't want to linger too long, wanting that release with her. Brynjolf lightly pulled her hair the deeper he thrust, which she enjoyed as she moved and gyrated to his movements, enjoying her panting breaths.

Brynjolf watched her as she shut her eyes, lips parted open in her ecstasy, but it was too much for him as he also closed his eyes, finally exploding his release. His movements slowed with each pulse until he was spent, falling to the side of her, not wanting to crush her.

"Oh, I want to do that again," she said, voice hoarse still with lust. She never had a man care so much about her needs before. Sure some men tried, but none went through the efforts as Brynjolf did. 

"I would like that," he replied, kissing her. "I would like that very much."

Brynjolf and Gwendolyn spent as much time together as possible whenever he was free in the past three months. She got a job as an assistant at Arnleif and Sons Trading Company, where she helped to keep the store stocked, cleaned, and would help sell now and again. She wasn't allowed in the Temple to see him, so he had to visit her. Gwendolyn was allowed to rent a small room at the shop where the two would spend much of their time together making love. 

When they weren't busy intimately, the couple would go for walks outside the city where he would pick her flowers, or they would have a meal at the Inn, and sometimes they would visit the Dwemer Museum. Brynjolf didn't care what they did as long as they did it together. In a short period, he found himself falling in love with Gwendolyn, and it was harder and harder to go through his training with the Priestesses afraid he was somehow betraying her. He never lied to her and told her the truth of things, but she didn't seem to care, just wanting to be with him.

Gwendolyn was snuggled into Brynjolf, her bare legs draped over him, both of them catching their breaths after their lovemaking. He was gently rubbing her back and felt this warmth he never experienced before. It ran so deep, he had a hard time explaining it to himself. It didn't take him long to realize the extent of his feelings and what they meant. He was about to burst with a desire to tell her, but it was terrifying too. 

"I know I probably shouldn't tell you this after having sex, and I know it is soon, but I can't help how I feel. I love you, Gwen."

"You do?"

"Yes, I feel it deep in my heart and through my stomach. It's a feeling I can barely describe. I want to spend every moment I can with you."

"Bryn, I…"

Before she could finish, their talk was interrupted by a loud crash of someone tearing through the shop, ranting, raving, and yelling out for Gwendolyn.

"Gwen! Where are you! I know you are here, bitch!"

Before the couple had a chance to get dressed, a massive Imperial burst through the door and stood transfixed, staring at the two lovers in shock. Once his initial shock was over, it turned to rage. "You fucking dare fuck my wife!"

"Wha...wife?" Brynjolf was trying to process all that was suddenly thrust at him, not understanding.

"You don't fool me, you fucking lecher! She is my wife, and you just fucked her!" The man turned to Gwendolyn, who was weeping. "You, I will deal with later."

"Look, I don't know who you are, but I know nothing about Gwendolyn being married," Brynjolf said, hands raised in defense, looking at the woman he just confessed love to feeling suddenly betrayed, feeling awkward in his nakedness. "Is it true? Are you married?"

"Bryn, please let me explain…"

"So, it's true, then," he whispered, feeling a pain run so deep, nearly the complete opposite of what he felt earlier.

"Please, listen, I was running from him...leaving him! Why are you here, Vitus! You know I left you! How dare you do this to me! You're an asshole!"

"You are still my wife!" the man shouted, anger turned to her now that he realized the man she had sex with didn't know the truth. "And you have the nerve to seduce this man in your bed. You're not only my wife but a whore, bitch!"

Brynjolf had had enough and punched the man, knocking him out. He watched in anger as the man crumpled to the ground. "Asshole…" he spat.

"Bryn, thank you for helping me!"

He turned his anger to her. "That wasn't for you. That was to shut him the fuck up. You lied to me, tricked me!"

"I didn't! I meant to tell you, I was going to...I...I just didn't think things would escalate so quickly. It is true...I left him. I..."

"You didn't think at one moment in our three months together it would be worth a mention?! If you had been honest, I would have understood! You're a liar! I...fuck! I'm outta here. You better leave before he comes to," he finally whispered. Though he was in a near rage, he didn't want to see her get physically hurt either.

"Bryn…!"

"Don't ever talk to me again," he said and walked out the door, tears in his eyes, hearing her wail, never to see Gwendolyn again. That night, he packed his things and left the Temple of Dibella forever and back home to Riften. He couldn't be in Markarth any longer with her still there. The call of home tugged at him and he couldn't get back fast enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Let us know what you think in the comments below. <3
> 
> Next: Things aren't looking so good for the Guild.


	11. Turning of the Tides

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gallus has discovered who has been stealing from the Guild. To make matters worse, the culprit (you know who) has been stirring the pot, getting thieves to turn against Gallus. Mercer plots and schemes, while Gallus makes alternate plans for Loria, in case something happens to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A bit of NSFW content.

"How are you today, Edda?" Gallus asked, squatting in front of the homeless woman. Despite his efforts to reel her into the Thieves Guild with her knowledge of the latest gossip, she refused. She often complained that no one cared about her, but when someone did, she chose to continue to live as she did.

"You forget about me, Gallus?" she asked, pouting at not having talked to the man in months who helped keep her fed.

"Never! You're my favorite gossiper in town. I'm looking for some specific information this time, Edda. Not really gossip, but this time I need your eyes."

"What do you need to know?"

"Have you seen anything strange going on in and around the Ratway, someone looking as if they are sneaking around carrying things they shouldn't, or just looking suspicious by nature, not including my thieves? I believe you know most of my thieves by now."

Edda tapped her filthy mouth with a dirty finger thinking about anything out of the ordinary. "The only ones sneaking around here are your thieves, but there is one in particular...your friend I see you with sometimes, the one who helps you lead. He comes and goes a bit during the night, carrying things, looking around as if he doesn't want to get caught. He's always ignored me, snubbed his nose at old Edda. I'm garbage to that man. He doesn't listen as you do."

"Mercer, you mean?" he asked, and she nodded. "Is there anything else you can tell me about him?" 

"Well, now that you mention it, though I have to admit, I haven't seen you around, and I've gone a couple of days quite hungry and…"

"Yes, Edda, I will pay you well. You know how this works."

"I see him a lot, actually. He's been hiding in corners talking to a thief here and there private like. Like they got some deep secret. Now don't ask me what they said, they were too far, but this happened several times. He's a suspicious one, he is, and a bastard. I don't know what you see in him."

"Yes, I'm beginning to wonder that myself. Thanks, Edda. Here, for your troubles," Gallus said, handing Edda twenty Septim.

"Oh, I've moved up in the world!" Edda exclaimed.

Gallus walked home for dinner, thinking about what Edda told him. He was afraid Edda had proved his suspicions of Mercer. He didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to think after all these years Mercer would turn his back on their friendship and steal right out from under him. It was bad enough that a thief was stealing from the Guild. Gallus knew there would be many thieves who would turn their backs on him, believing he couldn't even control his own Second.

Gallus ran frustrated hands through his hair as he poured over the notes in his journal, reading the words over and over again. The evidence was becoming clear who the perpetrator was regarding the thefts. He didn't want to believe it, but the evidence didn't lie. Then on top of what Edda had told him, he knew the truth of things.

After the Nightingales returned from the Twilight Sepulchre, the thefts were getting worse, their luck was turning with Guild members getting caught more frequently, two had been outright killed, and the gold coming in was dwindling. If Gallus didn't know better, the turning of the tides could mean the Skeleton Key had been stolen. Nocturnal would never have turned her back on the Gallus and the Guild if the Key was still in her Temple. That meant he would have to take a trip to the Twilight Sepulchre to see if it was still there. If it was gone, then he knew it probable Mercer who stole it. It must have been back when they protected Twilight Sepulchre against the Vigilants of Stendarr.

While the evidence was clear to him, there still wasn't a way to prove it, but he made sure to keep precise documentation of everything he found, hoping to eventually have enough evidence to get the Guild to agree to rid them of Mercer. In order to protect his evidence, everything he wrote in his journal was written in the Falmer language. The only person who could translate it was Gallus himself. Enthir at the College of Winterhold could possibly translate some of it, but Gallus had spent nearly a decade studying the ancient language almost nightly.

"Gallus? What's wrong, my love?" Karliah asked, walking in the house to find a stressed Gallus.

He turned to face her, arms held out, beckoning her to come to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck as he rested his head on her stomach. "I know who's been stealing from us, Karl."

"Oh no, who is it?"

"You were right all along. I was so blind, dammit! It's Mercer."

"Shit, Gal, I'm so sorry. I was hoping it wasn't true. So what now? Can we get rid of him now?"

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy. He's been a big part of the Guild's leadership, and he's part of the Nightingales. If we kick him out, we would have to find a way to remove him from the Trinity. Not only that, but war could erupt in the Guild. There will be people who side with him. I have a source who has implied he's been getting in tight with a few of the thieves. I will have to have proof he's been stealing right from under our noses. What makes matters worse is I think he has stolen the Skeleton Key, Karl."

"Wait; what?! Are you certain about this?"

"I believe so. Our luck is turning for the worse. The loss of the Skeleton Key would trap Nocturnal in her realm where her luck would run dry, essentially cursing us. With everything that is happening...yes, I believe he has it. I just don't have any proof...dammit!"

Karliah kneeled in front of Gallus, holding his hands, looking up at him. She knew he wasn't going to like her suggestion, but she felt in this instance, it was necessary. "Gallus, I know it goes against everything you believe in, but perhaps...perhaps we should take Mercer out on a Nightingale job and kill him, or call in the Dark Brotherhood. We could contact Delvin for help. It would be the end of our troubles, we could find the Key and return it to Nocturnal."

"No! No killing! There has to be a better way," he yelled and angrily stood up. "Despite everything, he's been a friend for years."

"It might be our only solution if we cannot find proof. We have to do something before Mercer steals everything out from under us, and then what will happen? Your 'family' is going to turn on you. Thieves are only happy as long as the money is flowing."

"Don't you think I don't know that?! No! I will only consider it as a last resort, not a first!"

Karliah went to him and pulled Gallus into an embrace, her head resting on his chest. "Shhhh, it's OK. I know...I understand. We will do it your way, love."

Gallus held her, resting his chin on her head, loving her, and grateful he had someone he could share his worries with. 

"I guess one good thing came out of this, well good for us, not so much for his woman. Glover has returned back to the Guild. We need his smithing skills right about now."

"Oh, what changed his mind?"

"Simply couldn't stand the life of a pig farmer shoveling slop and shit all day. He said he loved her, but not enough to tend to pigs the rest of life. I think he's using it as an excuse as his woman is with child."

"Poor thing, she's going to be left all alone to care for the farm and a child?"

Gallus shrugged. "I guess farming isn't for everyone. I know I couldn't do it, but after having Loria, I couldn't imagine leaving her behind, ever."

"Speaking of Loria. She is gone for most of the day with her lessons," Karliah finally said.

"Yes, she is. Do you have something...particular in mind?" Gallus asked, shoving his stress to the back of his mind, pressing his body closer to hers.

Karliah twirled a finger on his chest, coyly. "Oh, nothing exciting. I thought maybe you need a stress reliever." She looked up at him, twinkle in her violet eyes, a small smirk playing on her lips.

"A stress reliever? Care to go into more detail about that?"

"You will see...into the bedroom you go," she ordered.

"I don't know what I would do without you, especially at a time like this," he said, between kisses. "I can't tell you how much I need you."

"I believe you just did."

Gallus was hungry for her, not wanting to take his time undressing her and kissing her all over her body as he usually did. 

Clothes were strewn everywhere without a care, their kiss heated before Karliah pulled away, kissing his throat while grabbing his warm hardness. Pushing him against the wall, she worked her way down his body with feathery kisses, never taking her hand off of him.

Gallus could feel her warm breath on his hardness, disappointed she decided to tease him instead with tongue and kisses around his thighs, brushing her cheek against his shaft. But the anticipation of her mouth not only left him wanting but eager. When she slid her tongue up, down and around him, but hissed as it left him quivering for more. 

Feeling her warm mouth wrap around him, forced him to brace himself against the wall for stabilization, the heat of his body, and pressure centralizing between his legs. Her mouth worked up and down in slow, nearly taunting and tantalizing movements, desperate for her to finish, yet not wanting her to ever stop. 

Gallus looked down at Karliah hard at work, pleasing him, watching her with his hardness in her mouth nearly ended him right there for him. She was beautiful in her nearly sinful sucking and licking. Oh, when he watched her run her long tongue around his shaft again, he shuddered when she twirled it on his sensitive tip.

"Please…" he begged, wanting more of her mouth to finish finally.

Relief filled him as he felt the pressure build once more as she sucked harder and faster per his demands, instinctively tangling fingers in her black, silky hair to guide her to the speed he wanted. Out of nowhere, he stopped her, deciding he wanted to be in her instead. "No, stop…"

"Gal…"

"I have to be inside you," he explained. 

Gallus helped her stand then lifted her up into his arms as she wrapped her legs around his waist, kissing. Pressing her back against the wall, he maneuvered himself and inserted his shaft into her, pleased she was wet as he slid in effortlessly. He was already near the brink thanks to her delicious mouth, but he had to hold out for her. 

"I've got you...touch yourself," he ordered, face planted in her neck. "Gods, you feel so warm and tight wrapped around me."

Karliah's eyes glazed over at his words as she did what she was told, feeling a strange shiver course through her and centralized between her legs as he hit that spot inside just right. The pleasure traveled through her skin, spreading goosebumps as she shivered. 

As he slowly thrust into her, trying to hold back, he struggled as he watched her hand slide down to her wetness and rub her sensitive bud. He knew when a woman touched herself, she was quick to orgasm, a master at knowing exactly what she wanted and how through years of practice. Gallus was good, not as good as a woman who pleasured herself. 

"Does that feel good?" he asked, whispering in her ear.

"Mmhmm," she weakly replied.

"Tell me."

"It's the best feeling," she moaned. "You inside me is torturously wonderful."

He could feel the heat build up inside her as she tightened her muscles around him, and he didn't bother to silence his moan using every ounce of his will to keep from spilling too soon. As soon as he felt her pulse and heard her groan, he also could no longer hold back to the intense pressure of her body around him and exploded. They stood like that for a while as they caught their breaths, and their hearts calmed down. His face planted in her neck, tired and delicate kisses pressed on her throat. "I love you, Karl."

"I love you, Gal."

The two must have lost track of time as the door burst open and heard a man call out to them. Gallus and Karliah quickly got dressed in a panic and tried to make themselves look presentable, but unable to hide the fact they just made love. When they left their room, to their surprise, they saw Brynjolf standing there with Loria in his arms.

"Look who I found," Brynjolf said, finally putting the giggling girl down and looked at them with a knowing eye. "You're getting too heavy to carry, lass. You're growing too fast!"

"I missed you, Bryn! I'm so happy you are back," she shouted. "Papa, isn't it good, Bryn is back?!"

Gallus smiled at his daughter, "Yes, sweetheart. We are all happy to see Bryn. Why don't you run off now and let us talk to Bryn for a moment? Here is some coin. Go find us something you would like for dessert tonight in the market."

"Oh, yes! Thanks, Papa!" she yelled as she vanished into the shadow in her excitement and out of the house.

"It's good to see you, Bryn," Karliah said, giving the young man a tight hug and peck on his cheek, barely reaching him he had grown so tall.

"Yes, we are happy to see you, Byrn, but why are you back already. I received no word from the Temple, nor you that you would be returning. You had another three months left there. What happened?"

Brynjolf was so happy to be home, distracting him from his pain, but it all came tumbling out as his eyes watered.

"Oh, sweetheart, what happened?" Karliah said, pulling him into an embrace once more, which only left him in more tears.

"It's stupid…" he said, angrily rubbing his eyes, wishing he didn't hurt so much.

"I can't be stupid with you this upset. Come, let's all sit down, and you can tell us what happened," Karliah said.

Brynjolf wiped his nose with the back of his hand, sniffling. "I feel like a stupid boy," he started.

"Well, Bryn, you are still a boy in a way," Karliah explained.

"It's about a lass...no, a woman I met in Markarth a few months ago. She was so beautiful and kind. She accepted me as I was, and I foolishly fell in love with her. I know it was fast, but I couldn't help how I felt. We spent every moment together when I wasn't at the Temple…"

"Did you stop your training for her?" Gallus asked, concerned he was paying for the boy's lessons only for him to not participate.

"No, I did. I never stopped them until I left to come home."

"Gallus, please, let him tell us what happened before you start scolding him," Karliah said, patting Brynjolf back.

"We were in her room at the shop, and someone comes in and starts screaming for her, calling out to her. You could tell he was angry and he was messing up the store. The workers must have told him where her room was as he barged in on us."

"Crap, you didn't kill him, Bryn, did you?"

"No! Are you going to let me finish?!"

"Sorry," Gallus said, holding up his hands defensively, letting him continue.

"But I did punch his lights out. He was her husband. She was married to him, and apparently, she left him, so he came chasing after her, tracking her down. He was vile, and I can see why she left him, but she lied to me. I thought it was just her and me. In our three months together, she never once mentioned him. I'm such a naive ass."

"This is not your fault, Bryn. How could you have known?" Karliah asked. "I'm so sorry, sweetheart, that she hurt you."

Gallus tried not to get mad at the young man having wasted his money paying the Priestesses and tried to be empathetic to his situation. Plus, all the boy's training should have allowed him to pick up on that tidbit of information or send him some sort of red flag that the girl was hiding something.

"Bryn, I am sorry what you went through, and I'm sorry she hurt you, but you need to be careful when getting close to someone. You've had a lot of training, and I know it's going to take practice, but you have to watch for signs that maybe you should be wary," Gallus explained.

"Gallus!" Karliah scolded. "Yes, maybe when you were younger, you could pick up a lot, but you were on your own. Bryn has had a family of sorts and has been cared for. You can't expect him to completely run on instinct. You were able to use what you learned. He has not had much opportunity to do that yet. On top of it, you don't want him afraid of commitment and to be wary of every woman that crosses his path."

Gallus sighed and nodded, running a frustrated hand through his hair again. All that stress that vanished thanks to Karliah a moment ago was back. "You're right. I'm sorry, Bryn. Please, just try to be more watchful of signs. Other than that, don't let this prevent you from relationships or love. It's not the end of the world, and you will love again."

Brynjolf nodded, grateful to get some advice instead of scolding. "OK, I won't."

"Good, lad. Now go clean up and help us get dinner cooked.

Perhaps he was getting too greedy and taking too many chances, but he wanted to fuck the Guild over, thereby fucking Gallus over. He wanted to knock that thieving King right off his gilded throne, and it was working. Because Mercer now held the Skeleton Key, he was becoming wealthy as the Guild lost its support of Nocturnal. Thieves were getting imprisoned, killed, their missions were failing. All of their losses had caused their eyes to turn to their leader, Gallus. While Mercer did most of the vital leading, he made sure to sow the oats of dissent, that their problems were due to Gallus not contributing as much to the Guild, that he wasn't a good leader for them. 

But he sensed that Gallus was getting wise to his plans, realizing that perhaps Mercer was the problem to the Guild's woes. There were glances here and there, Gallus hanging around the Cistern more often, spending more time going over the ledgers. Mercer could have sworn there was a time or two where Gallus was following him, but it was possible he imagined it in his paranoia. The biggest hint was that Gallus was spending less time with Mercer. Usually, when he visited the Cistern, he would chat Mercer up for periods, joke as if they were best friends. Well, they were in Gallus' eyes. 

Mercer had a plan to do away with the Guild leader once and for all. It was indeed the only way to be the official leader of the Guild and have access to all the wealth without Gallus breathing down his neck. He would finally be free of the Imperial. Any thoughts of lingering love he thought he had for the man were long gone, replaced with resentment and envy. The only way to rid himself of these feelings and have ultimate power was to kill him. 

Mercer was confident in his abilities to kill Gallus despite the man's talent with combat. Gallus had become complacent fucking Karliah, raising a family, and searching for his Falmer treasure. All the while, Mercer practiced honing his fighting skills nearly every day. And he wasn't concerned that killing Gallus, the father of Nocturnal's child, would come back to haunt him. Mercer was sure he had been rewarded for stealing the Key and knew he would be rewarded with defeating Gallus in battle.

Soon, he would be able to lead the Guild as he saw fit with no one to tell him otherwise. There would definitely be repercussions. Some of the thieves would retaliate, and some would clamor for leadership, but Mercer was ready for that. He ensured he had the majority of the thieves on his side.

Mercer sauntered over to Gallus, who was sitting at the desk pouring over the ledgers as he always was, lost in thought. The man looked tired and stressed, no doubt because of the problems Mercer has caused, but he didn't care. 

"Hey, Gal," he said as he approached the leader.

"Mercer," Gallus said, not looking up from the books, writing.

"You look stressed, and I may have something to brighten your day."

Gallus looked up at Mercer, unable to control the wary look of his eyes due to stress and exhaustion. "Oh, what would that be?"

"I have received some bit of evidence that there may be some information pertaining to your Falmer treasure in some ruins up North near Windhelm."

"What? What kind of evidence," he said, suddenly perking up.

"Honestly, I don't know about evidence per se. It's mainly hearsay, but apparently, some carvings were found in some old ruins up North near Windhelm. You know that Falmer runs rampant up there in the wastes in the caves and Dwemer ruins. This particular ruin isn't Dwemer, but there's supposed to be some carvings in one of the caverns."

"What kind of carvings and who told you this?"

Mercer shrugged, "I've had people out and about keeping their eyes open for unusual depictions of elves and such, especially those who have been delving into ruins. It's a relief on a wall of some sort of elf shrouded in mystery. My source states he has never seen anything like it, and it doesn't look like any elf he had ever seen before, not looking like the typical elves of today, including Altmer. I know it isn't much to go on, but it could be worth a look."

"Hmmm, that does sound intriguing," Gallus said.

"Why don't we go together. I wouldn't mind seeing this for myself. I've always been interested in the Eyes of the Falmer. It's such a mystery. I figured we could make an adventure out of it. We haven't traveled in a while together."

Gallus didn't quite believe Mercer, but the thought of getting the man away for a while from the Guild was appealing. "What are these ruins? Do they have a name, and where exactly are they?" 

"Yes, my source tells me the ruin is called Snow Veil Sanctum. It's just North of Windhelm, in Winterhold. It shouldn't take up more than a few days to get there by horseback. You can get Bryn to run things while we are gone, give him a taste of leadership."

Gallus nodded and agreed. "Yes, I think it's time the boy tried his hand at it. I'm sure he will do fine. When were you thinking?"

"Why don't we just meet there in about five days, you can leave the day after tomorrow. I'm heading out in the morning for Windhelm for a job anyway, so I can just meet you at the Candlehearth Hall then, and we can travel together to the ruins."

"What job?" Gallus asked flatly.

"I'm just working up a new fence in the area. The other one buggered out."

"OK, then I will meet you in five days at Candlehearth Hall."

"Great! Maybe you will get the answers you're looking for," Mercer said, fake, practiced smile on his face.

"I'm sure I will," Gallus replied vaguely.

The next night Gallus started packing for his trip and made arrangements for Loria should anything happen to him. He couldn't help but worry he was walking into a trap. Once he was done packing, he wrote everything he was about to do and his plans in his journal in his Falmer language, leaving it on the desk for Karliah, who was out on a job. He was glad she was gone, not wanting to worry her. If he told her what was going on, she would follow him, and it could potentially get her killed as well. Better him than her.

"Loria, sweetheart," he called out to his nearly ten Winters daughter.

"Yes, Papa," she yelled out, skipping over to him.

"There is something important we have to talk about," he said, lifting her onto his lap. "I don't want you to be scared, but you have to understand what to do should something ever happen to me."

"What? Nothing is going to happen to you," she said nervously, her dark purple eyes almost swirling like a dark mist in her worry.

"I know there isn't. But just in case. I have to leave for several days, and Karliah is gone, so it's just you and Bryn. That's why you need to know, OK, honey?"

"OK…" Loria replied, still a bit nervous, not buying into her father's reassurances.

Gallus rested a hand on a small carved box he handed to her. "You hold on to this tightly, OK. Keep it with you always. Inside is a key that opens my trunk in my bedroom and a letter to a woman friend in Cyrodiil. Inside my chest, there is a large coin purse full of Septim just for you, there is a unique and magical cowl that will make you unrecognizable to anyone. Then there is a special bow. I want you to learn how to use it when you grow up. It is magical as well and makes you fast and nearly invisible to the enemy. 

"But…"

"Please let me finish, sweetheart. If something bad happens, I want you to just run. Run out of Riften, and you will pay the carriage driver to take you to the border of Skyrim and Cryrodiil. There I will have my friend waiting for you. I have already written to her, and she knows to be there waiting for you. If she is not, you are not to leave until she does, do you understand?"

"Yes, Papa."

"Repeat to me everything I have told you."

"I have a key and letter; if something happens, I take things from your trunk and run to the carriage driver who will take me to the border where your friend is."

"Good girl. Everything is in the letter, and you can read it, so you know who she is. Her name and description are written out for you. Now go on, put the box in your cloak, and do NOT ever leave the house without it." Gallus hugged her and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

"Loria," he called out before she ran off.

"Yes, Papa?"

"I...I just want to tell you how much I love you. How much I love being your father."

"I love you too!" she said, giving him a peck on the cheek and skipped off to play.

Gallus almost sobbed as she left, the sense he would never see her again nearly crushed him. He would do wherever he could to return to Loria and Karliah and Bryn. He would not turn his back on Mercer, but this was something he had to do. If he had to kill the man, then so be it. He would do it for those he loved.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Bad guys who win


	12. The Bad Guy Isn't Supposed to Win

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gallus meets Mercer in Snowveil Sanctum, expecting betrayal at any moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Character Death, a bit character in this story.

Karliah had just returned to Riften, walking through the Market, eager to get home when she spied Gallus quickly walking through town. She nearly waved to him, but there was something on his face that was concerning. It was a mixture of stress and sadness. He was covered in his traveling cloak and a pack on his back, knowing he would be doing quite a bit of traveling. 

Gallus made no mention of traveling anywhere, so something must have come up, something greatly concerning.

Gallus paid no mind to his surroundings walking with purpose, so Karliah rushed home to check on Loria, then she was going to head out and follow Gallus. There was something quite concerning about his demeanor. 

"Loria!" she called out as soon as she entered the house.

"Hi, Karliah," the girl said, bouncing into the room to greet her.

"Sweetheart, I have to leave again, and you can stay with Bryn, but I have to ask you and quickly now, did your father say anything to you that was upsetting or bothered you? Did he say where he was going?"

The girl looked up thinking, then her head bobbed up and down. "Yeah, he told me that…what did he say again, he made me repeat it. Oh! If anything should happen to him, I should take the Key he gave me, take things out of his chest, and then go to a carriage to take me to the border."

_ Fuck _ —Karliah screamed in her head. He's going to meet Mercer, and he knows he may not come back. Panic filled Karliah so deep in her stomach it nearly hurt. Gallus didn't train nearly as much as used to, not compared to Mercer.

She had to get to him and quickly. Before she rushed out the door, Loria called out for her. "Wait! Papa left something for you. He said I should give it to you when you come home." She ran off to Karliah and Gallus' bedroom and returned with a book. Not any book, but Gallus' journal. Dread filled the pit of her stomach once more. He believes he's not going to make it back. Karliah quickly searched his Falmer Language book, but she was unable to find it, cursing. She was running out of time and had to go.

"Thank you, Sweetheart. You stay with Bryn. I will be back with your father as soon as I can."

As she ran out, she stopped to scan the journal quickly to get an idea of where he was going. Inside was a letter to her. Quickly reading, hoping he explained where he was going. It talked about how much he loved her and that he may not return. If he did not return, she would go to the Snow Veil Sanctum North of Windhelm, where his body would most likely be. To remove his remains and have him buried properly. Karliah stifled an angry sob, angry that he didn't bring her with him. They could have easily defeated Mercer together. Pushing aside her fears, she ran after him.

"It's up there," shouted Mercer, pointing in the distance, yelling over the strong winds. It wasn't snowing yet, but a storm was brewing in the distance. It was already a struggle to walk through the deep snow.

"I don't see anything," Gallus replied. 

"Well, it's underground, so it's only a mound, but it's there."

Gallus took his word for it. He didn't really care. His only thoughts the entire trip after he met Mercer in Windhelm was how he was going to kill the man. Gallus hated killing, but would when it was absolutely necessary. It was no easy thing taking a life, especially from someone he had known for a decade. Someone he thought was a good friend of his, realizing that it was all a lie. He spent countless hours looking back on his friendship with Mercer and could not figure out that point where his friend became his enemy. The only thing that explained it was the talk they had about having something more serious right before Karliah entered the picture. Could it have been that long ago, he wondered? Had Mercer hated him for that long, and he had not once noticed? How could he have been so blind? The thought sickened him, but if he wanted to return alive to Karliah and Loria, he would have to defend himself. The question now was when Mercer would try to backstab him?

Little did Gallus realize that Mercer had already been up to the ruins and unlocked the iron doors. They were impossible to open without knowledge of their puzzle system, but he had the Skeleton Key, which quickly opened them. He didn't want Gallus to know he had the Key, so he opened the doors and returned to Windhelm to meet Gallus. 

Walking down the ancient steps through the top of the mound, Mercer made a show of struggling to open the old iron doors that led underground, as if he had not already opened them. "Ah, there we go. Let's see what's inside, Gal. If we can get you one step closer to the Eyes of Falmer, I'm all for it."

"That would be good, indeed," Gallus said flatly, allowing Mercer's lie to continue.

As Mercer walked inside, Gallus followed close behind, feeling for his two daggers for reassurance. He could have probably killed Mercer right there, but he didn't have the stomach to kill a man behind the back. There was something dirty about it that left a bad taste in Gallus' mouth. He wasn't ignorant of the fact that honor could very well get him killed as well.

The two men were assaulted by stale air filled with the slight stench of old death and mold from years of snowmelt dripping into the chamber. Walking down a short flight of stone steps, they came to a small chamber with a locked gate barring their way. A crashing noise startled both men as they turned to the sound seeing a draugr coming towards them. It's cataract eyes, ever watchful and menacing, it's taught skin pulling the mouth into a permanent smile of boney teeth. Mercer took charge, quickly killing the creature then pulling the chain to open the gate. 

"I hope the rest of the ruins are that easy," Mercer grunted.

"They never are."

"Watch out, Mercer. That must be a trap over there. See the gate with the spikes? That is meant to skewer anyone who sets it off," Gallus informed him as they walked into the next chamber. Perhaps he should have let Mercer set it off, doing the tasteless job for him.

"Yeah, yeah...I see it," he replied, not bothering to mask his annoyance and pulled the chain to open the next gate, careful not to set off the trap. He was irritated that Gallus thought he wasn't observant enough to notice a simple trap. Gallus had always underestimated and underappreciated Mercer.

Moving on brought them to the crypts, and if anyone delved deep into ruins for treasure hunting would usually find themselves dead with the draugr that protected the place. The living dead that roamed the ancient halls as if daring someone to take their treasures. Mercer and Gallus sneaked through the area, trying not to stir the draugr awake from their eternal slumber, not wanting to waste their energy fighting them. It helped the two men wore their Nightingale armor, which silenced their movements and kept them relatively hidden in the shadows.

They managed to sneak by all the dead when they reached another chamber with a closed gate. Surrounding the room were several upright coffins. They had to be careful in there, lest they wake up the dead. But it was not to be so. Mercer accidentally knocked over an ancient pot upon entering the room and triggered the coffins to burst open. Soon the two men were surrounded by several draugr. Gallus cursed under his breath at Mercer's stupidity, or was it intentional? He wasn't so much worried about the draugr as he was being distracted by them so Mercer could kill him while he was preoccupied. 

Instead of daggers, Gallus pulled out his sword to keep the creatures from getting too close. Both men hacked and slashed their way through the walking dead, some stronger than others, some still able to wield magic. It would have been an excellent time to have a bow to kill the draugr from a distance, but he left all his tools of the trade back home for Loria. She would need them more than he if she ended up on her own. The thought of his ten Winters' old daughter alone out there without him or Karliah terrified him. If he died, he hoped Karliah would take the girl and watch over her, but he knew that Mercer would try to kill Karliah if he died. Mercer would see to that, which would force her to run. The man would also try to kill Loria to stop her claim for leadership, which was why Gallus told her to run.

When the draugr was dead, the two thieves moved on. The whole ancient ruins were filled with dangerous draugr. Each chamber challenged the two men as they grew tired from the fighting. The draugr were tireless in their assault, being only skin and bones. There was a point Gallus thought his back was nearly broken as a draugr with some shout threw his body against the stone walls with just a sound. Shaking off the pain, he had no choice but to keep fighting all the while keeping a close eye on Mercer as the man danced around the dead, stabbing them with finely honed daggers.

They finally reached the iron doors to the sanctum itself, both of them breathing heavily, resting for a second before moving on. "Is there no end to these foul creatures!" Gallus bemoaned. He dug in his pack for some water, chugging it and had a quick bite to eat to replenish his energy levels, with Mercer following suit. 

"You know these Nordic ruins…" was all Mercer said, who was fuming on the inside that Gallus wasn't dead already. He shouldn't be surprised that Gallus was able to fight so aptly. He assumed the man had become too complacent and lost his fighting touch, but clearly, he was still training. Mercer had hoped the draugr would have killed the man for him, but every time they came across more draugr, Gallus defeated them at every turn. He was going to have to change his tactics.

Once the two men were rested, they pushed forward through the iron doors, which led them to a platform high above the chambers they were just in and into another crypt. "Crap!" grunted Gallus, sweating profusely despite the coolness of the ruins. He was tired of fighting draugr, wondering if Mercer's plan was to kill him by draugr. The only reason Mercer was fighting so hard was that the man didn't want to die either.

Their exhaustion led them to make mistakes, unable to be as silent as they were before. Without having any other choice, they fought through the onslaught of draugr. Fortunately, these were not the 'use a voice to fling bodies' type and were quickly killed. 

Mercer and Gallus pushed onward, fighting more draugr, tiring by the moment, their muscles burning from the constant fighting for their lives. Gallus sword grew heavy, barely able to lift, putting it back in its sheath and pulling out his daggers, which were less cumbersome. Finally, after countless battles with the draugr, they came to a large pathway with an intricate puzzle door at the end. 

"I wonder what's behind this door, it's quite elaborate. Is it meant to keep us out or something in?" Gallus wondered.

Gallus' interest in the door was his undoing, for he was distracted as Mercer simply came up behind the man and jammed his dagger several times through Gallus' kidneys in rapid succession. Mercer was weak from all the fighting and had to attack quickly before Gallus could get the upper hand.

Gallus' reaction wasn't one of surprise, but of disappointment that he let his guard down, and stupidly expected Mercer to play by the rules and not literally backstab him. He shoved Mercer away from him, holding onto his back with one hand and grabbing his dagger in the other as he staggered back. Already weak and now rapidly bleeding out, Mercer was on top of him, knocking him down and pinning Gallus to the ground as Mercer straddled the prone man. 

"You are weak and pathetic, Gallus. All that training and all your education, and you're still stupid and blind."

"Why…" was all he could get out with the heavy man on top of him.

"Why? Why?! I loved you for so damned long, and not once did you ever acknowledge it. Brushing me off like one of your bitches. I'm not your bitch! You had the nerve to tell me you didn't do relationships, and I accepted that until you came home with your new bitch only to fall in love with her. What did she have that I didn't? Huh?! You're a liar, Gallus. Then you left me in charge of the Guild while you had your sweet little fucking family. Left me in charge, and yet all the thieves still loved you best. I never got the recognition I deserved like you did despite me doing most of the work. So, fuck you and your 'why's,' Gallus."

"I thought we were friends. I am sorry I didn't love you the same. That's not my fault. You can't force someone to love…"

"Fuck you!" Mercer yelled, silencing the man, not wanting to be distracted from his hatred with rational thought. "Not another fucking word."

Gallus couldn't help it as tears slipped out of his eyes. Not for the expected betrayal, but his fears had come to fruition, and he was never to see Karliah, Loria, and Bryn again. He was not afraid to die, knowing he would be guarding Nocturnal. He had a place in death, but it would be without his family. He was weeping for his losses.

"See, you're weak in your fucking tears."

"Weeping for my loved ones is not weak. If you had bothered to move on and find someone to love, perhaps you would have been different. Instead, you chose the path of hatred and jealousy. I feel sorry for you, Mercer, to feel so much anger and hatred and never really enjoy life."

Mercer didn't want to hear the truth of his words. "We are done talking," he said as he took the dagger to Gallus' jugular and watched the man, his friend, the man he once loved, the leader and founder of the Thieves Guild in Skyrim slowly bleed out, watching the life drain out of him, breathing his last breath.

The emotions that course through Mercer were unexpected as his eyes filled with tears, ignoring the fact he just called Gallus weak for the same thing. He fell on top of the dead man, the man he loved once, and wept into him. "Fuck you, fuck you, fuck you…," he sobbed out loud and pressed his lips to Gallus' still warm mouth.

"NO!!!" he heard someone shout.

Karliah pushed as hard as she could to catch up to Gallus and Mercer on her horse. She had traveled days, rushing, pushing. She had to stop Gallus, knowing Mercer was going to kill him. All she could do was pray to all the Gods that she wasn't too late. Looking down at her map, she could see the mound of the ruins in the distance as it started to snow, a storm was brewing.

Jumping down, she quietly pushed the doors open and entered the ancient ruins in stealth, not wanting to be heard should the two men be close by. It was eerily silent as she made her way forward, seeing the trail of dead draugr in their wake. None of the bodies was Gallus, she thought in relief, hoping she could make it after all. She picked up her speed, knowing there was nothing to slow her down as the two men already killed the draugrs. That didn't stop the nervous sweat that pooled under her arms, trickled down her back, and glazed her forehead.

If she caught up with the men, she would instantly go on the offensive and take Mercer out. She didn't care if Gallus hated her for it. It would keep her lover alive. Mercer would deserve everything she could throw at him. 

The ruins were long, and every time she rounded a corner, she was hoping to see the men standing there, her stomach clenching painfully from fear, but she was only greeted with more dead draugr. She worried about all the death around her that Gallus would be too tired to fight off Mercer. There was no way that the battles they faced in the ruins wouldn't weaken them.

_ It's too damned quiet _ , she thought, worried Gallus was already dead.

Passing a large chamber and down to another pathway, she could see Mercer sitting on top of a prone Gallus, and her heart dropped, feeling sudden vertigo, freezing her in place as she watched in horror Mercer took his dagger to Gallus' throat and leaned down to kiss him, weeping.

"NO!!!" she yelled as if her very shout could prevent the death of her lover.

Mercer looked up in shock to see Karliah standing there, tears streaming down her face, but the rage was plastered on it, not sadness. She fired off several arrows at him, missing all but one in her anger, hitting the side of his torso. Drawing her daggers, she lunged at him as he went on the defensive. 

Mercer took his stance, waiting for her to come at him, once she was close enough, quickly attacked with short stabbing bursts of his daggers only to be met with nothingness as Karliah flipped in the air and landed behind him, stabbing him twice in his back.

The rage inside Mercer at the loss of his love and Karliah showing up, another person he planned to kill. It kept him moving despite his injuries as he spun and swiped her with his dagger, cutting cleanly through her leather through to her stomach as she started to bleed.

Karliah bounced back from him as he swiped again, flipping her daggers from an outward position to a chambered one so her stabbing blows would be more powerful. The two had never sparred together, so neither knew how each other fought, trying to learn each other's weaknesses quickly. 

Mercer ducked one of her blows and trusted upward to cut her again in the stomach. She connected her knee to his chin, which forced him to stumble backward and fall to the ground when she spin-kicked his head, Mercer falling on his back. Karliah pinned his arms down with knees when she landed on his chest, weeping.

"He loved you! How could you kill him! He was your friend and always came to your defense! I wanted you gone, never trusted you, and he always protected you, and this is how you repay him! He gave you a life, a purpose, more coin that you know what to do with...a fucking family! You selfish, greedy, jealous, envious, bastard! I HATE YOU!"

"He was mine first before you came along and ruined everything!"

"He was NEVER yours! And what about his now orphaned daughter!"

"Fuck Loria! She's as good as dead!"

Karliah raised her dagger over her head to stab him, hoping to penetrate his skull and be done with him once and for all, but she forgot he was a Breton who had magical abilities. Mercer didn't use them often, blasting her with a telekinesis spell off of him and slammed her back against the wall. The hit knocked the breath out of her, and her knife scattered away, but she too had her own spells, though not as thoroughly trained in magic, blasting him with electricity to stop his momentum, giving her a chance to grab her dagger. Before he could recover, the blade flew through the air and landed in his stomach.

Mercer looked down in shock to see the dagger protruding from his stomach, but clarity quickly set in as he removed it, throwing it away from Karliah and lunged for her. She tried to get out of the way, but the pain in her ribs was too much. Pulling out another dagger, she blocked his downward thrust and punched him in the balls, watching him drop to the ground, nearly throwing up.

Karliah wasted no time and stabbed him in the shoulder, where the knife got stuck in bone. Unable to pry it out, she stumbled through the chamber to find her other dagger, holding her bleeding wounds. She was getting weak from the pain and blood loss, wanting to quickly and finally kill the man before he killed her. Mercer was recovering too fast and came at her.

Karliah knew she couldn't keep fighting him; she was weakening by the moment. Trying not to weep at having to leave Gallus behind, she cloaked herself in her invisibility spell, vanishing and struggling to sneak out of the ruins before she died as well. No, she had to live. She had to live to come back one day and kill Mercer once and for all. She vowed she would ruin his life before the end. 

Karliah got out of the ruins, grabbed her horse, and ran to the closest place she knew where she had a friend to treat her wounds before she bled out. The College of Winterhold was a day's ride, and she knew Enthir wouldn't turn her away. She wept the entire journey for her loss; the pain was so much more painful than when she lost her mother. She loved her mother, but Gallus was different. It was a different sort of love, a love she knew that she might never find again despite living a long time. Then she wept for Loria. She hated leaving the child behind, but she knew Bryn would take care of her, but deep down, she knew the girl would run as her father instructed. Karliah had to live for her revenge and for Loria as well.

"FUCK!" Mercer yelled at no one, his voice echoing off the ancient stone walls, for the ruins were now devoid of life except for him, cursing he lost his opportunity to kill Karliah. He wanted to chase after her, but decided he needed to quickly get back to the Guild in case that was where she was headed. He needed to make sure he established his authority as a leader. He was not going to have her ruin that for him. Looking back at Gallus on the ground, a strange pang hit him for just leaving him there, pushing it aside, he left the ruins never to weep for his friend again.

Mercer rode straight for several days to get back to Riften, thinking about the lies he would spin at the loss of their beloved leader and Karliah. It was a struggle as he was still weak and injured. He could have healed himself, but he needed proof that Karliah attacked him and nearly left him for dead. It was the only way to make his story believable. He healed himself just enough to keep from bleeding to death.

Stumbling weakly into the Cistern, he yelled out for help and saw Brynjolf rush to him, helping him walk, watching a crowd gather around him with concern.

Karliah's lip quivered, and tears pooled out of her eyes as she returned to the ruins, not wanting to be there, but needing to retrieve Gallus' body for a proper burial as he requested. She read his letter to her over and over until she couldn't read any longer. Enthir healed all her wounds, but there was nothing he could do for her broken heart. 

It had been three days since the incident and Gallus' murder, his body already decomposing in the dampness. She didn't care as she lifted his upper body and pulled him into an embrace, needing to be by his side to grieve. She wept into his neck, not caring about the stench because she loved him, and that was all that mattered. The pain was unbearable, and she wondered if she would ever get over him. 

Feeling a gentle hand on her back, she looked up to see Enthir in tears as well. Karliah gently laid Gallus down and hugged Enthir as the two wept for the man they loved. "What am I going to do without him, Enthir," she wailed.

"I don't know, Karl. I wish I had an answer for you," said the Bosmer.

After they wiped their tears, they struggled to carry Gallus' body out of the tombs. Wrapping his body in linen, the slung him over her horse as she carried him to a special place she found near Winterhold, the ground already dug up for his body. It was cold and full of snow, but it was surrounded by beautiful mountains and thick pines, ancient carved stones dotted the landscape. It would be her special place to come and mourn Gallus from time to time.

They placed his body in the hole and covered him, weeping once more, saying their goodbyes as they held each other.

"I couldn't find it," she finally said.

"Find what?"

"His Falmer Language book you gave him years ago. I need it to translate his journal he left for me, but I can't now. It wasn't on him, and it wasn't at the house."

"He must have hidden it then, not wanting anyone to interpret his journal. Besides, you already know what happened."

"Yes, I know what happened, but the Guild doesn't. I need proof, and now I have none. I have his journal, but no one can read Falmer. I know you can read a bit of it, but you won't be able to translate all of it. Mercer will have the entire Guild turned on me by now, and I have no proof of what really happened."

"So we will exact our revenge, Karl, make Mercer pay for what he has done."

"Oh, he's going to pay, and I don't care how long it takes me. I will destroy him from within, and then I am going to kill him when he's at his lowest."

Placing her hands to her face, she wept once more for Gallus, the idea of killing Mercer doing nothing to calm her grief.

Brynjolf came running home, tears streaming down his eyes. He had to find Loria. She had to know the truth, and he was the one to do it, not wanting her to find out from someone else. He burst into the house. "Loria!" he yelled out.

The young girl came running out of her room, hearing the distress in Bryn's voice. "What," she asked, worry on her face, seeing him looking as if he were crying.

He lifted Loria into an embrace and wept into her as she wrapped her arms around his neck, worried for her friend. "Why are you crying, Bryn?"

Brynjolf struggled to get himself under control, taking a deep breath, he walked them over to the sitting room and put her in a chair in front of the fire. He sat in front of her and grabbed her hand, his lip quivering. "Lor, uhm, I...I have some bad news, and you need to hear this from me. Gallus, uhm, your father...muh, my friend, is... he's dead, Lor."

"What?! No...no. He's not dead. I just saw him a few days ago. He said he was coming back! You're a liar, Bryn! Why are you so mean!" she shouted at him, her normal purple eyes swirling in blackness as if her eyes were tiny thunderstorms. Her hair floating in long tendrils of smoke.

"I'm not lying, Lor. I'm so very sorry. Mercer came back severely injured and told us everything."

"Then Mercer is a liar! My daddy is not dead! He would never leave me behind!" she wailed, but she knew the truth of things. She remembered his words about her needing to leave if anything should happen to him. She brushed his words off before, but she saw his sadness. Then Karliah came home worried, asking her all sorts of questions.

"No, he's not dead. He can't be," Loria repeated, her body becoming ethereal and smokey in her grief.

"Stop, Lor...calm your body. I'm so sorry. But I promise I will do everything to take care of you now. I swear it."

"Where's Karliah. She should be here. She will take care of me."

"No, she won't, Lor. She's the one who killed Gallus."

"Now, I know you are lying! She loved my Papa! She was like a Mama to me! Why are you trying to hurt me!" she wailed, her body thinning out, trying to disappear.

"Mercer said his injuries were from Karliah. I'm sorry, but it's true." 

"But why was she so scared for Papa the other day and ran off to find him?"

Brynjolf wondered about what Loria was saying. If it was true that Karliah was worried about Gallus and ran after him, it would mean that Mercer was lying. There was no reason to believe that Mercer lied after he explained everything. No, Karliah is not here and ran. She must have done it in her jealousy. He wasn't about to tell Loria that since she was in enough pain.

"It's OK. I don't know, Lor. I don't know."

He held her as she wept until it exhausted her, and she fell asleep in his arms. Brynjolf carried her to bed and tucked her in, kissing her forehead. He was in pain, and he understood better than anyone what it was like to lose a parent you loved. She would suffer for a long time, but he would be there for her to protect her and help her through her grief.

Loria opened her swollen eyes, seeing it was still dark out. All she could think about were her father's words about her needing to get away should anything happen to him. She hated to leave Bryn behind. She loved him, but her father made it clear, and she worried something would happen to her. Maybe Bryn couldn't protect her, and that is why her father told her to run. Her father never once mentioned she should stay with Bryn.

She quickly got dressed, put on her cloak, feeling for the box in her pocket. Relief that it was still there, not having checked since her father gave it to her. She quietly unlocked his chest, pulled out a book and coins, throwing them in her pack, put on the cowl, and strapped the bow and quiver to her back. In the kitchen, she packed up some food and filled a waterskin with water, placing all items in her bag. 

Quietly, she tiptoed out of the house and ran through the nearly empty streets of Riften, only guards walking around with torches, but none of them took any notice of her despite her walking openly, the cowl keeping her from being recognized. Once she was through the gate, she went to the tent outside the city walls and woke up the carriage driver to take her to the border of Skyrim and Cyrodiil and to her new home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed this up a bit. I know that Gallus gets killed outside the Sanctum and gets unceremoniously dumped down a shaft, but I wanted to a bit more to it, change it up. I hated killing him off. Gallus wasn't a big part of the game, but writing him brought on a whole new level. I hate to see him go, but I wanted to stay canon here. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Next: Battle for leadership


	13. War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> War in the Thieves Guild

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We don't know much about what happened after Gallus died, but we know there was some sort of war and fight for leadership.

Tears threatened to spill as Brynjolf stood in the doorway to Loria's room. Her bed unmade, as if she just woke up for breakfast, but she was nowhere to be found. Her things were gone, and Gallus' chest was left open, empty inside. The young man knew she fled. Brynjolf hadn't felt this alone since his mother died having lost another family. Gallus was dead, Karliah gone after murdering him, and now Loria ran away. It helped him deal with his grief that he could share it with Loria, but now she was gone too, and he was all alone. Brynjolf worried about her being so young and on her own, but not knowing where she could have possibly gone, unable to chase after her. He made a vow to take care of her, and now there was nothing left but the Guild, his only home. 

Unable to hold it back, the tears finally let go. Brynjolf wanted to be angry, but he just didn't have the energy. The only vow he could make now was to just take care of himself and help keep up Gallus' legacy in the Guild. After the betrayal of his first love and that of Karliah, he would never love again, he promised himself. It was just too painful, unable to trust getting close to a woman ever again. If a man like Gallus couldn't stop the woman he loved from betraying him, what hope did Brynjolf have? His sole focus would be to the Guild with nothing left.

Packing up his belongings, he left his home of ten years, locked it up, and made his way down to the Ratway without looking back. Throwing his bag on an unused bed in the Cistern, he took a deep breath and focused on what needed to be done. 

"Brynjolf," yelled Mercer, peaking out of Gallus' room.

"Coming," he replied.

Mercer asked the young thief to sit down in the chair proffered in Gallus' old room. After he sat, Mercer needed to talk to him about where his loyalties lay. He was Gallus' pet, and he needed to make sure he was on Mercer's side. He would never trust the boy, but he would be useful, planning to keep him close at hand and in control.

"How are you doing," he asked Brynjolf, not really caring, but trying to set up some empathy to win him over.

"I've been better," he replied, shrugging, not wanting to really talk about it. He never really cared for Mercer, but he was Gallus' friend, so he would stand by his new leader.

"I know it's hard, but as the new leader of the Guild, since I'm second in command, I need to know if you are by my side. Can I count on you to stick with me and do as you're told? Can I have your loyalty? In return, I will make you my Second."

"Aye, you have it. I will do whatever it takes to keep this Guild going."

"Good! I knew I could count on you. Now go and get the thieves together. We need to have a chat."

Brynjolf nodded and did as he was told, slinking off, trying not to let depression get ahold of him.

Mercer finally healed, sitting in Gallus' old bedroom using his spell. Now that the Guild had seen what Karliah did to him, it was time to spin and weave his story to garner sympathy and turn them against the woman. _She will never be able to show her face around here again by the time I'm done._ The rest were already on his side since he had taken the time to manipulate them into believing he was the better leader.

It was early morning, and most of the thieves would be around, not having yet left for jobs, eating breakfast, and getting ready for the day. After Mercer cleaned up, he ordered Brynjolf to gather everyone and meet in the Cistern as he stood on the small bridge, slowly pacing back and forth, waiting.

When the thieves all gathered around the pooling waters in the center of the Cistern, they waited patiently for Mercer to speak. 

Mercer put on a mask of concern and worry on his face with a touch of grieving. The grieving part wasn't as difficult as he thought. Despite murdering Gallus, he felt the loss, never having gotten over him. 

"Some of you may already know that we have lost a great man. You couldn't ask for a better leader than Gallus. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't even have a Thieves Guild in Skyrim, nearly surpassing the Guild in Cyrodiil in fame and power. It pains me even more that I lost a friend." Mercer wanted to paint Gallus as a lousy leader, someone who let the thieves down, but he had a feeling that wouldn't go over well with most of them, so he painted their leader with praise.

Mercer distorted his face into one of anger, using the missed opportunity to kill Karliah to fuel him. "That bitch Karliah took him from us! Her jealousy sent her over the edge, and she had the nerve to take his life, then she tried to kill me! I barely made it back here alive, thanks to her…" 

"Horker shit," someone yelled out, some mumbling in agreement. "They loved each other!"

Mercer was going to take it a step further and claim Maven's baby was Gallus,' but he was already wading in treacherous waters and had to be careful how he spun his lies if it got back to Maven. "Of course they did! She loved him so much she couldn't take him sleeping around with other women. It was just business for him, but not for her. You know he did these things to obtain what he needed to keep the Guild thriving and keep you all out of jail. She just didn't understand that, and it finally drove her over the edge. I swear to you if I see her again, I will kill her. She's as good as dead. She lost her right to live after what she did to our Gallus!"

Cheers erupted in the Cistern, while others hissed at his words, not believing him.

"I am not Gallus, I am sorry. He was a greater man than I, but I will do everything I can to carry on his legacy and keep Septim flowing in the Guild. I will keep our connections with Maven strong and ensure we have plenty of jobs. Gallus may have been a great leader, but it was you who brought in the coin! You who did all the work! I am also going to make Brynjolf here my Second. If I am not around, he is in charge."

More cheers erupted, some thieves walked away, tired of Mercer's bullshit. Many couldn't stand the man.

Despite his best efforts, Mercer was not able to draw the crowd as Gallus could, infuriating him, unable to control his temper. "You walk out of here, you turn your backs on the Guild, and you will not be allowed to return," he shouted at the thieves walking away. They did not care and kept on walking to make their own way in the world. Even with Gallus dead, he knew that he would be forced to live in his shadow for a long time to come. _Fuck them_!

"Back to work!" he yelled, his mood gone sour. 

Helgi stood in a dark corner of the Ratway. It was an area that many didn't walk through, waiting for her associates. With her hood over her blonde hair, she cleaned her fingernails with a dagger as she waited, hoping they would all show up.

The woman hated Mercer, sometimes condoning violence and murder behind Gallus' back. She had assumed Gallus had given the go-ahead to do so, but after hearing about his death, she knew. Helgi knew Mercer was the one who killed him. She had been with Gallus since the beginning, and he always kept his promises, never letting them down. The woman also knew Karliah well, and that woman loved Gallus too much to kill him. No, she wasn't going to let that man rule the Guild. Brynjolf would have been the better choice.

Helgi wanted to ask Brynjolf to join them, but right now, he was grieving and blind to Mercer's lies, afraid he would turn them in, not that she would blame him. It wasn't the boy's fault. Once they defeated Mercer, he would come around.

"Alright, we're here. What's this about," asked the male thief. He arrived with the group she asked to meet with her, all of them showing.

She stood up straight and lowered her hood. Her face was not as smooth as it once had been through the years. She was getting older, but there was no retiring from the life of a thief until one couldn't walk anymore or was killed. 

"You know Mercer is a liar, right? I 'eard ya durin' his speech. 'E murdered our Gallus."

Most of the thieves mumbled in agreement, but one of them asked, "Do you have proof of this?"

"Of course not, but I know Gallus an' I know Karliah. That woman would neva 'ave murdered her love. Mercer is an ass'ole and 'e's dangerous. I'm tellin' ya, Gallus was killed by Mercer. Gallus could easily 'ave defeated him! The man musta stabbed 'im in the back...treachery!"

'I know I'm asking for proof, but I agree. I think that man killed Gallus too. So what can we do about it?"

"We kill 'im," Helgi suggested.

"Wait, that's going to start a war," one of the thieves stated.

Helgi crossed her arms in irritation. "Aye, what of it? Gallus deserves no less. Mercer should not be the leader. We need to take 'im out and replace 'im with Bryn. Bryn will carry Gallus' legacy."

"So you want to start a coup?" one of them asked a slight tinge of fear in her voice.

"Don't 'ave the stomach for it? We owe Gallus everythin'! It's because of 'im that we are 'ere rollin' in Septim. It's because 'im we weren't starvin' in the sewers," Helgi persisted.

"Aye!" some yelled.

"Shhh, no screamin'. This 'as got to be a secret. If no one else is 'ere, they don't need to know what we got planned," Helgi ordered.

"So what is the plan exactly?" asked a female thief.

"We do this tonight an' keep it simple. Stay close by an' I will go talk to 'im, draw my knife an' stab 'im. As soon as I attack, you jump in an' we kill 'im together. Be prepared for retaliation as the bastard's got friends," Helgi explained.

"What if Brynjolf retaliates and attacks us?"

"We leave that boy alone, got it?! Bryn will be the leader, an' no one is to touch 'im. Hold 'im, subdue 'im, tell 'im to join us to lead. We do not kill 'im. We agreed?"

"Aye," they all said and left in separate directions, agreeing to meet in the Cistern that night, which was simple enough since they all slept there.

Maven waddled upstairs in the Bee and Barb, taking her usual daily place at the little desk tucked in a corner where she conducted more of her shady work, keeping it away from her boys, or husband whenever he saw fit to visit. Maven's third child was due in a week or two, but that didn't stop her from working. She had a business to run and a Thieves Guild to help maintain. 

The woman had to admit Gallus kept his word and turned the Guild into a thriving business for the past decade, keeping her in wealth, her investment long paid off, but the two happily maintained their business relationship. 

When she reached the top of the stairs, Mercer was there sitting in her only chair. She hid her irritation at the man at his audacity, wondering why he was there and not Gallus. "What do you want, Mercer?" Maven asked.

"Is that any way to talk to the new Thieves Guild leader?" Mercer said with a smug look on his face, leaning back in the chair, balancing it on two legs. It was his effort to establish his control over the noblewoman.

"Out of my fucking chair," she said calmly despite her language, leaving no room for argument. When he got up, he mockingly bowed to her as she sat down, grasping her large tummy. "What do you mean you're the new leader? Where's Gallus."

"Dead," he said flatly, seeing what kind of reaction he would get out of the stern woman, but if Mercer thought he was going to get any emotions out of her, he was sorely mistaken.

"What happened," she asked indifferently.

"Karliah killed him in a fit of jealousy for fucking you and the Jarl."

Maven was not going to be baited by this small Breton, leader, or not. "Horker shit. You killed him. I know a lust for greed when I see it. You can't lie to me."

"How did…" Mercer shut down his shock and irritation that the woman could read him so well, clearly underestimating her. 

"You are no Gallus," Maven said with an indifferent wave of her hand, much to his growing irritation, clearly losing the upper hand. Not looking at him as he fumed, she set about working on her ledger, purposefully ignoring him.

If he didn't need her so much to keep money flowing into the Guild, he would have killed her right then and there, baby or no baby. _Fucking bitch_. 

"Why are you here, Mercer? Hoping to gain control over me? Hoping for my money and the power I can give you? Fine, Gallus is dead. I want the Thieves Guild to thrive, and I'm not going to relinquish control of it at this point. Leaders come and go by all sorts of means. Do what you must, keep the money flowing and I will support you." Maven finally lifted her eyes and looked at the man, red-faced in his anger and embarrassment. "But if you cross me in any way or fuck up, I will have you taken out. I have close ties to the Dark Brotherhood, and I will not hesitate to use them. Do I make myself clear?"

"Fine...yes."

"Good, now be a good boy and on your way then," she said, making sure to lay her condescending tone thickly to see how much he was willing to bow down to her.

Like a good dog, he stormed off.

As soon as she heard the door shut downstairs, she put her quill down on her ledger and wept in her hands. Maven was surprised by the profound sadness she felt at the loss of Gallus, one of the few people she trusted in this city, even if he was a thief.

The day had been long, filled with complaints and whining. Were these people thieves or children? Mercer asked himself, in a foul mood. _They want, want, want, and expect me to just snap my fingers, giving it all to them_. Then there was Maven, who treated him as if he was a child and not the new leader of the Guild. The fucking bitch refused to show him the respect he deserved, and how the fuck did she figure out he killed Gallus? The whole scene unnerved him, gaining a grudging respect for Gallus in how he handled the woman, but that thought only accomplished in irritating him further.

The only reason he was sticking it out as a leader for the Guild wasn't about power, but continuing to build his wealth and establish his noble title while undermining Gallus' legacy.

One of the worst aspects of being the leader was the paperwork. Gallus always took up the mantle and did it all, except when Mercer was manipulating the numbers. Now it was his turn, and he loathed it. The only reason he did a thorough job was to hide his continued theft from the Guild. 

Mercer had given Brynjolf and Glover a key to the safe, but they were not allowed to open it unless there was no other choice. Mercer made it clear to the two men he would be in charge of the inventory, not trusting anyone else. Both men readily agreed, not wanting to deal with paperwork and inventory anyway.

It was late, and most of the thieves were sleeping in their cots surrounding the Cistern as Mercer focused on the ledger, manipulating the numbers. He didn't hear the thief walk up to him until she was right up to him, so distracted in his mood and theft. 

"What do you…" he said, about to tear into her for disturbing him, but he didn't get to finish as he felt the knife go into his side as she deftly maneuvered around his desk. 

"Now!" she shouted out as the other thieves woke up from their slumber, clearly not sleeping, daggers, swords, and bows were drawn ready to take out Mercer. He did a quick headcount and saw there were just over a dozen thieves prepared to betray him.

Bleeding out, Mercer shouted for help before Helgi punched him to silence him, but the damage was done. Before the rest could take out Mercer, more thieves poured in and saw the betrayers. War soon broke out in the Guild. What was once a peaceful evening quickly turned into chaos.

An already furious Mercer turned violent as he thrust his own dagger strapped to the underside of his desk and repeatedly stabbed Helgi. A smile was on his face as she crumpled to the ground dying as she bled out. Three betrayers were fighting from a distance using their bows. Mercer cast his frenzy spell on them and watched in glee as they turned on one another, knowingly killing each other, but unable to control their movements.

The thieves clashed with swords and daggers, and at that point, Mercer couldn't tell who was who, so he slinked away to watch from afar. If he felt the betrayers were getting the upper hand, he would involve himself, but for now, he watched as they just killed each other. Though he was angry at being betrayed, at the same time, he relished in the chaos as he healed his stab wound. The more that died, the more he could replace with thieves who would obey him without question. The fewer thieves brought in by Gallus, the less Gallus was worshiped.

Brynjolf woke up with a start, sleeping in a room near the Ragged Flagon as all the beds were strangely taken that night in the Cistern. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, he tried to figure out what startled him awake. That was when he heard muffled shouting and clanging of metal through the thick stone walls. He was awake now, heart-pounding, grabbing his sword and rushing to find out what was going on.

When he opened the door to the Cistern, shock laid before him. His brothers and sisters were killing each other. Blood was everywhere. Brynjolf tried to yell at everyone over the noise to calm down and stop the fighting, but no one paid any attention to him. 

As he watched, he didn't know who to fight, who was friend or foe. Clearly, someone didn't like Mercer in charge, but he couldn't tell which ones they were until a thief saw him and yelled out to him. 

"Bryn! Helgi is dead, and she wanted you in charge. You should be in charge...the leader! Mercer killed Gallus...surely you know this…" the man yelled out. 

Brynjolf shook his head; he didn't know what to think. Was it true? Did Mercer kill Gallus? No, Karliah wasn't there. She ran because she was guilty. Mercer made him Second in command. He wouldn't have done that were he guilty. Mercer would have killed him since Brynjolf was so close to Gallus. No, this thief was the enemy.

Byrnjolf clashed swords with the thief demanding Brynjolf should be in charge, not believing him. 

"Bryn, stop! Please... don't do this. Mercer killed Gallus."

"Lies! He wouldn't do that! They were friends!"

The thief knew he wasn't supposed to hurt Brynjolf, but the man was leaving him no choice as he fought back the red-head. Unable to kill the lad, he ran off to fight another Mercer supporter, letting someone else deal with him.

"Fight me!" Brynjolf yelled. "Coward!"

Brynjolf started to recognize friend from foe the more the fighting continued, joining in the melee to protect the new leader. Most tried not to fight him, but he left them no choice. It was either fight back with Brynjolf or die. The young man was angry and frenzied. 

"You're going to fucking die for this!" Brynjolf yelled at the thief before him as they circled each other, both had daggers drawn. Brynjolf had lost his sword when it was knocked out of his hands, but he always had spare knives. He had both blades in the chambered position, pointed behind him as the two eyed each other, looking for any openings or signs of attack.

"I'm sorry to do this, Bryn. You should be the leader, but you aren't leaving me much choice but to defend myself," the thief said.

A flicker of doubt crossed Brynjolf's face, wondering if what the man was telling him was the truth, but it quickly died away as the thief used that hesitation to his advantage and attacked, slicing through Brynjolf's left cheek. He could feel the blood pouring down his face, but he didn't stop to take care of it. 

"You'll die for that," Brynjolf said, lunging at the thief. The thief may have been older and more experienced, but Brynjolf had superb training and youth behind him as he danced out of the way before he was stabbed once more. Brynjolf sent the man flying with a side kick, and as he stumbled backward, the young man lunged at him, daggers slicing and cutting the thief as he fell. One quick swipe of the knife to the throat left the thief in shock, and Brynjolf ran off to find another target, not waiting for the man to die.

Mercer watched Brynjolf in the distance fighting his family, people the boy had known most of his life. A smug smirk played on his lips knowing the boy was indeed on his side, defending Mercer's honor, hearing other thieves struggling to convince Brynjolf he should be the leader. He now knew the young man was loyal to him. 

As the fighting was dying down, some thieves fled, many others dead, Mercer came out of hiding. He finally joined in the fight, knowing he was the victor, quickly killing off the exhausted betrayers. 

When it was all over, and the remaining loyalists rested, they dragged all the dead bodies out of the Cistern and into the Ratway Warrens, setting the bodies ablaze. Nothing lived down there other than Skeevers and rats anyway.

Brynjolf sat on one of the beds, face in his hands as depression set in. Between losing his family and home, now his friends, it proved to be too much for him. He wanted to scream at something or someone, but he didn't know what or who, so he sat there wallowing in his misery. He could scarcely believe he had to kill some of his friends, ignoring the wound in his face.

Mercer sat next to the young man on the bed, patting his back, and tried to heal Brynjolf's face, but he just shoved Mercer away from him. "Fucking leave it," he demanded and walked away to the Ragged Flagon to get drunk.

Brynolf dug behind the bar and grabbed himself something strong— _Firebrand Wine should do nicely_ —finding a dark corner away from everyone and drank straight from the bottle. Despite his apparent efforts at wanting to be alone, some of the thieves kept coming up to him to check to see if he was OK, but he moodily brushed them away. He didn't want to talk to anyone. The pain was unbearable. Not the pain in his face, that he could ensure. No, it was the pain of his loss. If he hurt that morning, it was nothing compared to what he was feeling right then. Brynjolf could feel it harden him deep inside. He didn't want to be hard, but his heart and mind didn't care what he wanted. 

"Bryn?" a young thief girl came up to him.

"Why can't you people just leave me alone for five fucking minutes?!" he yelled, which was uncharacteristic of him, being customarily laid back and calm thanks to Gallus' teachings.

"I know you want to be left alone, it's clear, but your wound is going to fester if you don't take care of it," she insisted.

"Fine," Brynjolf lifted his bottle of Firebrand wine and dumped it on his face to wash it out. The pain nearly dropped him, but he withstood it and managed to hold it all back. "Better?"

Loria laid her bedroll on the floor of the carriage to try and get some sleep, knowing the trip would be long. Throwing all her belongings deep inside the bedroll, she crawled inside and finally wept. She had been rushing to get out of the house, and away from Riften, she didn't have time to fully grieve. She cried for her father that night when Bryn told her the news, but now she cried that her whole world as she knew it was gone forever. Even at nearly ten Winters, she knew things would never be the same again. She hated to leave Bryn behind, afraid he needed her as much as she needed him, but she made a promise to her father, trusting his judgment. If he believed she had to run and leave it all behind, then she would.

She wondered if she would ever see her friend again as she watched the Riften city lights fade in the distance, blurring from the tears.

After three days, her bottom was sore from the rough ride and uncomfortable wood, grateful the driver let her get off now and again to rest and relax. She had paid him enough that he hunted for both of them so she could eat as well. 

The temperature was getting colder; the higher they reached the mountains towards the border into Cyrodiil. It was beautiful, never being that high in the mountains before, never leaving Riften except outside the town's walls.

"We should be there in about an hour," the driver informed the girl.

"OK," was all she said, pulling her cloak in tighter and raising her hood over her head to keep out the chill.

Loria had read the letter to the woman she was supposed to meet. The woman was an Imperial mage named Talia, and the girl memorized the woman's appearance. She was supposed to have red hair and dark brown eyes. Loria didn't know what the plans were beyond meeting the woman, assuming Talia would take her somewhere to live. She hoped so. More than that, the girl hoped the woman would be there waiting for her, unsure of what to do. Her father told her to wait for Talia, and so she would. 

As promised, after the hour had passed, she saw in the distance a large gate blocking their path with several guards in unfamiliar uniforms guarding it. The carriage slowed down and stopped so the guards could talk to the driver. She listened and watched as the two discussed her, trying to get her inside the border.

The driver turned to the girl, "Do you have any more coins?"

Loria nodded, unsure why they would want to know, afraid to give away her money in fear of not having enough to feed herself.

The guard walked behind the carriage and offered his hand to help her down. She dropped to the snow, nearly slipping while trying to hold onto her things. 

"We have received word from the Imperial City that we are to watch over you until your guardian comes to meet you. She's not here yet, but you still have to pay the tax to get in. Fifty Septim will get you in as well as food and board you until she arrives. Do you have that much, sweetheart?"

"I think so," she said quietly, digging in her coin purse. Her father had left her quite a bit of Septim, able to afford the tax, but she hoped she had enough to last her a while. Handing the guard the coins, he led her through the gate and into the barracks where she was to wait for Talia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! We would love to know what you think in the comments!
> 
> Next: Loria's new life


	14. A New Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see little Loria with a new guardian getting used to her new home in the Imperial City, where her father grew up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let us know what you think down in the comments. <3

The Captain of the Guard was either kind or paid well to give Loria his private room, so she didn’t have to sleep among the men. The border gate was no place for a young girl of ten Winters. Loria struggled to sleep, pulling her stuffed bear close to her for emotional security as if it had magical abilities to soothe, but it didn’t help stop the tears that threatened to spill. Despite the guards being kind to her, she felt utterly alone, missing her family, especially her father. She also missed Bryn already, hating to leave him behind, wishing he could have come with her.

Loria thought about trying to find her mother, but she didn’t know where to begin. Her father told her the truth about her mother, Nocturnal, though, admittedly, the whole idea confused her, not understanding the concept of thieves and luck. He had no choice really while trying to explain her unusual powers and her destiny. 

Loria, holding her bear to her chest, closed her eyes and called out to Nocturnal, her mother. Perhaps she could hear her calling out. “Nocturnal, Mama, where are you? Can you help me? Please,” she whispered so none of the guards could hear her. All the girl was greeted with was silence and periodic snoring outside her door. The tears finally freed themselves from her eyes, lip quivering, and shuddered breaths as she wept. Her father told her once that he was just a bit older than she was now when he lost his family and had to survive on his own. Now Loria was faced with the same challenge. At least she had someone coming for her.

These feelings of loneliness, fear, grief were so alien to her. Loria’s life had been filled with much attention and love, never having experienced loss before. The feeling of wanting to crawl inward into herself was overwhelming, but she had to be strong for her father. He wouldn’t want her to hide and be afraid; she knew that much.

It had been three days since Loria arrived at the border with no Talia in sight. The girl began to wonder if Talia was going to show up at all, worried something happened to the woman, or worse, she was forgotten. The whole idea left Loria afraid and feeling even more alone than before. She was leaning against the wall, knees drawn up, in bed, not wanting to leave the room when there was a knock on the door.

“Loria?” asked a male voice through the door she recognized as the Captain.

“Yes?” She replied, trying to sound stronger than she felt.

“Your guardian has finally arrived. Pack up your things and get ready to go, honey.”

Relief filled Loria to the core of her body. Finally, something had gone right. Loria quickly packed up her meager belongings in her bag, put on her cloak, and rushed out the door. Quickly scanning the barracks, she saw the woman there, a mage in dark blue robes to her knees and dark leather breeches with long red hair and dark brown eyes, just as her father described the woman.

Talia smiled at the girl, arms out when Loria appeared. “Oh, sweetheart, come here,” she said as Loria tentatively went up to the woman, not embracing her. Talia kneeled down and pulled the girl into an embrace anyway. “I’m so sorry about your father, sweetheart. He and I were close friends growing up, and I feel your pain.”

Loria fell into the woman and wept once more, a relief to find someone to share in her grief. Talia was unable to control her own tears as he held her friend’s weeping daughter. She had not seen Gallus in over a decade, but they had kept in touch, but she deeply felt his loss. Gallus just had something about him that people were drawn to, and everyone close to him would feel his loss for some time.

“It’s alright now, child. I will watch over you. You’re not alone, OK?”

Loria nodded into the woman’s shoulder then sat up, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, vowing it would be the last time she cried. She needed to be strong now, for her father. He wouldn’t want her feeling helpless. Of course, it was easier with someone by her side.

“I’m sorry it took me so long. I ran into some trouble on the road, but it’s all fine now, and I’m here. Do you have everything? Ready to go?”

Loria nodded once more, still not uttering a word.

“Good,” Talia said, reaching out her hand for the girl to hold. “I have a horse. His name is Fred,” she explained, watching the girl smile a bit at the silly name. “You will like him.”

Talia helped Loria climb on Fred, a very ordinary-looking horse with a brown coat and mane. His one unique feature was a beautiful white spot on his nose, looking as if someone poured milk on his head. Talia climbed behind the girl, dug in her pack, and tossed a bag of coins to the Captain. “Thanks for watching over her, sir,” she said and took off at a slow canter into Cyrodiil.

The land didn’t look much different than Skyrim, but they were still far to the North. The mountains were covered in dense pine trees, the air cold, but Loria was warm enough in her cloak and sitting close to Talia. Feeling less afraid for the first time since leaving Riften, but she knew she would miss her home.

“It shouldn’t take longer than two days to get to the Capital.”

“Where are we going?” Loria finally asked.

“Oh, we are going to your father’s old stomping grounds, the Imperial City. You will love it, well I hope you do. It’s a big city, much bigger than your Riften. It will be a whole new world for you and much more opportunity. Since I am part of the Thieves Guild in Cyrodiil, you will be a part of it too. By the Gods, I tried to get your father to join us, but he refused, his goals much higher than the average thief.”

“Do I have to be a thief?” she asked.

“Well, no, you don’t. We will keep up with the training your father did for you, then you can decide when you’re older. We won’t force you, but you could be as great as your father, Loria. You are a part of Nocturnal, and those powers will serve you well in life. I will also teach you to enhance your magic. Gallus told me you were quite adept at it already, probably because of Nocturnal. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you came from a Daedric Prince! But if you want to be a farmer or shopkeeper, so be it.”

Loria thought about what Talia told her, not knowing what she was going to do with her life, not wanting to think about the fact her father wouldn’t be in it. 

Loria watched in awe at the big city before her. It was so much bigger than Riften and beautiful, full of stone buildings and towers. “Is that the Imperial City?” Loria asked excitedly.

Talia chuckled, “No, that is Bruma. Remember, I said it would take us two days to get to the city. We will stay the night in Bruma and move on in the morning. I figured you would rather have a bed to sleep in rather than a tent, though I can’t say I hate the idea myself.”

“Oh…’

“If you think this is big, wait until you see the Capital. Riften must be small, indeed.”

Talia helped Loria get off Fred, grabbed their gear and handed the horse over to the stablehand. The two headed through town as Loria looked around with great interest wanting to explore the city, but she knew she would get lost. In Riften, she knew every nook and cranny, and everyone in it. She would explore the town and frequently play with the orphans. Loria realized she had stopped, and Talia was far ahead, running to catch up to the woman.

“A room with two beds, two rabbit stews, a mead, and some milk,” Talia yelled out to the innkeeper when she dumped their belongings in a chair at a table. 

Once they got their food and settled down, Talia wanted to find out exactly what happened to Gallus, not wanting to get the girl upset, but she had to know. It was hard to believe someone like Gallus could be killed. He was always aware of his surroundings, prepared for most things. 

“Loria, honey, your father told me all about you, but he wasn’t very forthcoming why he was suddenly paranoid and set up arrangements for you if something happened to him. Do you think you can talk about what happened? Do you know?”

Loria took a shuddered breath, remembered her promise to herself, and nodded. “Karliah killed him, jealousy they say. I didn’t believe it at first. She was always so nice, but she ran, and no one could find her. Brynjolf told me the truth.”

“I see,” was all the woman said, watching the girl and her strange, yet beautiful eyes in their stormy turbulence. Gallus had told Talia all about Karliah, and she found it hard to believe the woman killed him, but what did she know? She had never met the woman, but Gallus was a good judge of character, so it was hard to say. She struggled with the fact. Gallus, though, slept around quite a bit to achieve his ends. He could see a woman tiring of it, not knowing what arrangements the couple made or if he even stopped.

“And you believe that?” Talia finally asked. 

Loria shrugged, really too young to understand about betrayals or jealousies. She fidgeted as she finished her meal. She liked the woman enough, but she didn’t know what to say to her, then decided to ask how she knew her father. “Were you friends with my Papa for a long time?”

“Aye, I was. We were children on the streets, orphans. I don’t know what happened to my parents, raised in the orphanage, but when Gallus and I were a bit older than you, we tore through the city as if we owned it. We learned how to survive, we would spy on the soldiers and learned how to fight, practicing how they practiced. Eventually, we met thieves along the way who helped us train in other more...well, unsavory aspects of survival. I went on to the Thieves Guild, looking for a bit more stability, but your father had a mind all his own. He wanted to do things his way, and no one could tell him differently,” Talia chuckled at the memory. “Stubborn man, but determined, and surprisingly a good person despite his lifestyle. He just did the best he could with what he had.” Talia left out the parts where Gallus and she shared their first kiss, laughing, deciding they were closer to brother and sister, never to pursue anything intimate after that.

Loria smiled, hearing good things about her father helped with her pain. Knowing a bit about his own childhood and how similar her life was to his now. It was strangely comforting. If he could survive as a child, so could she.

“I’m surprised you’re so shy, Loria. I would think you would be quite a bit like your father.”

This just made Loria blush and even more shy, not wanting to express how she was feeling, not knowing Talia that well yet. “I’m not...I...I’m just sad and lonely...a bit afraid,” she finally admitted.

“I can understand that. I guess I should have known better.”

Loria stifled a yawn, not wanting to be rude to the woman, but Talia noticed. “Alright, off to bed. I guess it is a bit late.”

They marched off to their room, Talia allowing Loria to pick which bed she wanted, watching the girl tiredly pull out her worn, stuffed bear and quickly fall asleep.

Talia brushed out her thick red hair on the bed, watching Loria sleep, thinking about her situation. She never thought she would be saddled with a child, an adopted mother, in a way. She never felt she was mother material, but she promised Gallus. A promise she intended to keep. He trusted her, and he read people well. If he thought Talia could do it, then she would do it, though the whole idea was nerve-wracking. At least the Guild, her family, would help out.

The next morning, Talia opened her eyes with a start to see the bed next to her was empty. Panic filled her when the girl was nowhere to be found in their room. Gallus had told her that his daughter had a tendency to vanish into shadow when she was upset, sometimes she did it to tease, but Talia highly doubted the girl was playing.

“Loria,” she called out, hoping the girl was just in the room, and she couldn’t see her.

There was no answer, so Talia quickly got dressed and went to ask around the tavern to see if anyone had seen a young girl. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Loria at a table eating breakfast, heart hammering against her chest. For a moment, Talia believed she had already failed Gallus and lost his daughter.

Talia sat down across from the girl, wanting to reprimand her, but really the girl didn’t do anything wrong. “Morning, Lor. Listen, if you are going to leave me alone, I wouldn’t mind if you would tell me where you were going. I was worried,” she told the girl gently. “I’m still getting used to this parenting thing.”

“But you were sleeping? I didn’t want to wake you,” she said, used to being able to come and go as she pleased.

“I appreciate that, but again, I’m still getting used to this, and I want to make sure you are protected, per your father’s wishes. This city is huge, and the Imperial City even bigger. You could easily get lost.”

Loria nodded in agreement. “Sorry. I ordered you some breakfast,” she said by way of reconciliation.

“Well, your father said you were a sweet girl, but he said nothing about how thoughtful you are.”

Loria smiled shyly at her encouraging words.

After breakfast, they grabbed Fred and made their way to Central Cyrodiil, where the Capital was located.

Loria was trying to remove her cloak on the horse as the day was growing quite warm. She was used to colder weather, even in the Summers. She looked up once she removed her cloak as they rode past a rise in the land to see a massive and gleaming tower in the distance. 

“Oh! What is that,” Loria asked, pointing in the distance.

“That, my girl, is the White-Gold Tower built long ago by the Ayleids. The city was built around that tower. That is where we are headed. That is the Imperial City.”

“You are right, it is huge and so beautiful from here.”

“I told you,” Talia laughed.

Loria looked around the large city as they rode on Fred, passing markets, a large arena, beautiful fountains, temples, gardens—it was the most beautiful place Loria had ever seen. She couldn’t wait to visit the markets and buy something for Brynjolf. The whole idea soon soured her mood when she realized she would never see him again. She had fled, and he didn’t know where she was, almost crying again, but she choked it back.

“Some parts of the city are still in repair after the war, but it’s much better than it was,” Talia informed her.

“You and Papa were here during the war?”

“Yep, it was hard, but we survived. Lots of places to hide in a big old city.”

Fred meandered through the city as they made their way out the gates and out of the town.

“Why are we leaving? We just got here,” Loria complained.

“We are headed to the docks where the Guild is located. It’s the Thieves Guild founder’s house. We all live there and train there. Plenty of space for you.”

After passing a lighthouse, they rode across a long bridge to a small island with buildings curved almost as if they were trying to embrace the round city. Talia jumped off, helped Loria down, and stabled her horse next to an abandoned building. 

Inside, the house was well kept. An elderly Bosmer woman was sweeping when they walked in; apparently, she cooked and cleaned for the Guild. The place was much nicer than the Cistern, which was really just a sewer, but Loria’s father did his best with what he had. 

“That’s Una. She keeps us clean and well-stocked with food, her cooking is to die for. Come on, let’s meet the Guildmaster,” Talia said, holding Loria’s hand as they headed to his quarters.

“Come in,” the two women could hear from the other side of the door after Talia knocked.

A somewhat older and rather stern-looking Imperial man stood up to greet them as Loria hid behind Talia, suddenly shy once more. 

“Is this the child?” he asked, voice gruff.

“Aye, this is Loria, Gallus, and Nocturnal’s daughter.”

“Interesting,” he said as he knelt down to Loria’s eye level. “Hi there. I’m Andreas, the Guildmaster here, like your father was. I know I look mean and bad, but I won’t hurt you. You can come on out.”

Loria peaked out from behind Talia and looked at the man who now wore a smile on his scarred face. It strangely changed his entire demeanor, and she couldn’t help but smile back. His blue eyes twinkled through craggy eyes.

“Hi,” she managed to say.

“Gallus’ child is always welcome here, sweetheart. So is it true? Can you really vanish into thin air?”

Loria shook her head no, “I don’t really vanish...I guess it looks that way, you just can’t see me in the shadows.”

“Interesting,” Andreas repeated. “Care to show me?” 

He watched the girl’s strange eyes swirl like a thunderstorm at sunset and disappeared in a puff of shadow. His eyes widened in surprise despite knowing her abilities. “That is impressive. You can come out now, child.”

Loria reappeared back to where she was. “I like to prank my friends.”

Andreas and Talia laughed at the girl.

“I have no doubt,” the Guildmaster said. “Is there anything else you can do?”

Loria shrugged, “I have been learning to control my shadow, but Papa believed I would be able to do a lot more. I just...never got the chance. I used to be able to see people in the darkness, but they are gone now.”

Andreas furrowed his brows, confused as to what the girl meant. “People in darkness?”

Loria nodded her head vigorously. “Yes, when I am in shadow, I can see them, well I used to. They are like shadows too, but people. I can see through them, but they watch me, see me. I’m not afraid, though. They feel...safe...felt. They are gone now, and I can’t see them anymore.”

“Interesting,” the man said the third time. Standing up, he looked at Talia. “Go get her fed and show her where she will sleep. I had Una clean up a room for the girl, well, it was the storage room, but it’s a decent size. It has all she needs. I didn’t think it would be wise to throw a child in with the rest of the thieves.”

“Agreed,” Talia said. “Then we will be off.”

Loria had spent months training with the Guild. Thanks to her father, she already knew quite a bit, getting an early start in her education. They tested how much she knew and expanded from there. She spent three days a week learning archery, two days a week learning how to use daggers, five days a week learning the art of thievery from pickpocketing, lock picking, and stealth. Talia would spend three days a week with the girl helping her hone her abilities and learn spells. On top of her training she would continue her studies in reading and writing.

It was Loredas, and Loria was tired of all the training, needing a break. She had barely been out of the house since she arrived, used to being able to explore regularly. The morning was still early, and most of the thieves were asleep as she sneaked out of her room, determined to look around the city, and get out for a while. She had made sure to write Talia a note, leaving it in her room in case the woman got worried, almost feeling bad for leaving without telling her, but Loria needed to be alone and didn’t want to risk Talia denying it to her. 

Practicing her sneaking skills, she quickly hid behind a door when she saw Una walk by, not wanting the Bosmer to see her. Her form exploded into shadow as she moved from one dark corner to the other, making sure anyone awake wouldn’t see her. Once outside, she ran around the buildings to the bridge and in through the city walls. 

The city was filled with more people in one place than she had ever seen in her life. It was much like Riften with a variety of people, beastfolk, and elves. Loria was confident she wouldn’t get lost as the city was built around the large white tower in a circular manner. Walking straight would lead her right back to where she started, she thought, as she made her way to the market. 

Despite the early hour, the market was filled with people, mainly servants who were buying food and goods for the day, but there were a few nobles about, perusing fine wares. There were many elves she had never seen before, tall, with golden skin. She couldn’t remember seeing any in Riften before, as she watched them in awe, thinking how much they looked like golden statues.

She stopped by one stall that had a wide assortment of goods from enchanted rings to weapons. The merchant shooed her away, not wanting children about, for they never bought anything. 

“Why can’t I look?” she asked, pouting.

“Children rarely have coin. Now go and bother someone else,” he replied, looking into her blue eyes.

Loria had learned to mask her eyes when in public knowing they could bother some people in their normal state. She put a hand in her pocket of her cloak, feeling the coin purse there. “I have gold,” she said, chin up in defiance. She knew she could steal the items, but there was one particular ring she saw. She wanted to buy it as a gift. It would be more special that way. 

The merchant scoffed at her, “shoo before I call the guards!”

The girl pulled out a bag of coins to prove to him that she did indeed have money. Of course, she was scolded for that as well.

“Put that away, young lady. Do you want the entire Thieves Guild to know you have all that gold?”

It was her turn to scoff. “Are you going to let me look now or not? I am sure another vendor would be happy to take my Septims.”

“And what is it you would like to see, my dear,” asked the vendor, suddenly friendly.

Loria pointed at the man’s gold ring lying in a case with the amber stone in the middle. “I want to see that one,” she informed him.

“That’s for men. Much too big for your little fingers.”

“It’s not for me. It’s a gift.”

“I see. Well, then, you have chosen well. This ring here is enchanted with a magic protection spell. The wearer is protected from some of the strongest of spells. Not all, mind you, but quite close.”

“How much?”

“For you, 400 Septim.”

Loria looked at the man, pulling forth her shadowy magic to enter his mind, to sense if he was lying or not. It was a talent she had been practicing in private for a while now to use it to her advantage. “No, that’s too much. I will buy it for 200 Semptim,” she informed him, knowing he was jacking up the price for negotiating tactics.

“My dear, I have to eat. I have five children at home. I’ll tell you what, I will sell it to you for 350 because you are such a shrewd customer.”

_ Lies _ —”275.” 

“325”

They both agreed on 300 Septim for the ring, though she knew it was too much, with an extra 50 Steptim if he threw in the dagger she had her eyes on.

Loria thanked the merchant, putting the dagger in her boot. She would strap it on later when she got home. At another vendor’s stall, she bought a chain for the ring to wear around her neck. 

The ring was for Brynjolf. She couldn’t send it to him, but she wanted something special to give him should she ever return to Riften and see him. It hurt her to think that she may not, but as she held the ring, she used it as sort of a conduit for hope that she would. She brought the ring to her lips and kissed it for luck.

“Loria!” Talia yelled out, grabbing the girl by the arm. 

The girl was so startled that she barely contained her form, not wanting to vanish into shadow in public.

“How did you… Loria, how did you change your eyes?” the woman asked, suddenly forgetting why she was there. “They are blue.”

“I can sometimes change my appearance, but only small things. My eyes make people feel strange, so I practiced changing them.”

“Indeed...impressive for a little girl. We are going to definitely hone that talent of yours.”

“I’m sorry I left,” Loria said, looking down at her feet. “I just need to breathe, to get out for a while.”

“I understand, honey, but you need to tell someone. I was worried, sick.”

“But I did tell you!”

“You left a note, which is not the same thing. If you need to get out, just ask.”

Loria nodded, not explaining further to the woman that she just needed to be alone for a while.

“Come on, let’s go home, Lor.”

_ Home _ .

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Loria 25 years later.


	15. Once a Thief, Always a Thief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We see Loria 25 years later, master thief, and giving her poor boyfriend a run for his money as she struggles with relationships, making reluctant promises she doesn't think she can keep. She is hired for a job to end a family rivalry, by planting evidence of a theft that goes wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is mainly one of character development for Loria. I didn't want to go on and on as she grew up, so we have skipped ahead and will soon see her with Brynjolf once more.

She stretched in the bed, trying to untangle her bare legs in the thin blanket. Loria wasn't sure what time it was, but she knew enough that it was a few hours before dawn. It would give her enough time to do her job. Then she could go home and sleep the rest of the morning away. Her father used to make thieves mainly work in the day because that was when people were at work and not at home, but this specific job would provide her with needed shadows. Besides, the homeowners were on vacation.

Loria tried to get out of the bed, but strong arms pulled her back as she rolled over, facing the man holding her. His eyes were closed, honey blonde hair tousled, but a smile played on his lips. "Where do you think you're going?"

She wrapped her leg over his thigh, sliding a hand around his waist as she kissed his sleepy lips. "I have to go," Loria explained vaguely.

"Why don't you ever stay the night? You're so warm and snuggly," he pouted.

Even though he was playful, it was an argument they frequently had. There were many reasons Loria didn't stay with him until dawn, one of which was to prevent a relationship. She knew if she stayed the night, he would want her to stay more, soon he would want things she was unable to give, like love, marriage, and a family. But tonight was about work. Arik didn't know that she was a thief, and she wanted to keep it that way.

At thirty-five Winters, she wondered if she would ever be willing to have a relationship or if she would just end up alone the rest of her life. Thieves had relationships all the time, especially among each other, but she was resistant. Perhaps because it was a seemingly loving relationship that killed her father. Karliah had betrayed him out of love. If love was that volatile, she wanted no part of it.

Playfully pushing him away, she crawled out of bed as he sat upon an elbow, watching her go from her delicious naked form to being disappointedly dressed in thin leather armor, which did nothing to hide her curves.

"Lor, come on...how come we never settle this? I think you're trying not to lie to me," he said, with more intuitiveness than she gave him credit.

Loria didn't want to do this now. She wanted to go and do her job, but that was a lie. She just didn't want to have to explain to him she didn't commit to men. She really enjoyed Arik's company, and the Nord was outstanding in bed, not wanting to end it, which was why she kept setting the issue aside. But Arik kept pushing it anyway, clearly wanting more. 

She sat down in a chair with an exaggerated sigh as she laced up her boots, not looking at him. "Why can't you just be happy with what we have, Arik?"

"Lor...I am happy. I'm so happy, which is why I want you to stick around more."

It was either end things with him or just do what he wanted and stay the night once in a while. Would it really kill her to stay over for a full night periodically? That didn't mean they were going to get married or anything. Loria wasn't ready to end things with him, so she compromised, hoping she wouldn't regret it. She stood and sat down on the bed next to him as he looked at her expectantly.

"Tell you what...tomorrow night. I will stay all night with you tomorrow. Happy?"

Arik lifted the man's ring around her neck, looking at it, a ring she never took off. He always wanted to ask her about it but was reluctant, unsure he really wanted to know about some other man in her life before him. "All night? Like we will see each other in actual daylight?" he teased. "I was beginning to think you were some vampire."

She gave him a small laugh, "No, not a vampire, and yes, we can see each other in the daylight, though you may regret it when you see me. I'm not exactly a beautiful woman when I wake up in the morning with hair in tangles, eyes swollen, dried drool on my face..."

"Mmmm, dried drool. I think I'm in love," Arik quipped.

"Falling in love over drool? You need to raise the bar a bit there, Arik,...up your standards."

The Nord pulled her down into an embrace and kissed her. Loria finally pushed him away, needing to get to work. "Trouble...you are trouble."

"I do my best, milady."

Loria stood up and quickly braided her hair, tying it in the back of her head to keep it out of her face, bent over to give Arik one more kiss, and left.

The night was balmy, and the day was only going to get warmer as Mundus rose in the sky. Summer months were too hot for her, hating to sweat in her leather. Even though it had been thirty-five years since she set foot in Skyrim, she missed the cold. Sure they had cold Winters in Cyrodiil, but not like Skyrim. 

The older she got, the more she forgot about her life as a child. The people she knew, their faces, fading from her memory, though how she felt for them, never entirely went away, especially her love for her father. The pain remained, but it wasn't as stabbing as it was in the beginning.

Pushing thoughts of her father out of her head as they unexpectedly made their way into her mind, she pulled the mask over her mouth and nose, covering her head with her hood to hide her face. 

Even though she had powers to change her appearance and become literally a shadow, she was careful not to do it in front of others except her family in the Guild, especially guards. She wanted to maintain her secret, not wanting the authorities to look for a woman who could turn into a wisp of smoke. Loria only used her powers when she was desperate.

Strapping the bow her father gave her on her back with her quiver she had stashed away; she set out into the night, already sweating from the warmth. The house was located in the Nobles District. Loria made her way over there, walking and sticking to the shadows. Technically there were two houses she had to break in that night. The first would be unlocked since the owners were the ones who hired her to steal a family heirloom and then plant it in the house of a rivaling family out of town. 

The two families were in a decade-long feud with no sign of peace anytime soon. The family she was stealing from wanted their rivals to be arrested for the theft, ending the rivalry once and for all. Loria was paid well for the job, half up front. What did she care about squabbling nobles? The woman didn't share her father's love for nobility, using them to obtain more wealth and status. She preferred subterfuge, and the thrill theft gave her from the risk of getting caught. She didn't even care if she was rich or not. It was mainly for the challenge because she could.

As was per their agreement, torches and lamps around the house were out to give her cover in the shadows. Because she was half of Nocturnal, she could see in the dark better than most, not needing any light source to find her way around. She looked around to make sure the coast was clear, pressed the door lever to open, and silently walked in. The family indicated the item would be located in the parlor on top of a bookcase. There it was, in all its shiny golden hideousness. The ship was solid gold and covered in precious gems. It was one of the ugliest things she had seen in a while, but the value was high, thoughts of just stealing it for herself crossed her mind if the family wasn't paying her so much.

Placing the golden ship gently in her pack, she cracked the front door open, peering outside to make sure no guard was near and slipped silently out, closing the door behind her. Breathing inside her mask was causing her to sweat, so she removed it to breathe easier in the balmy air, but keeping her hood on. 

The next house Loria had to break into wasn't far as the noble families tended to be congregated in the one district, so it didn't take her long to reach it. Dawn was just over an hour away, and she wanted to make sure she was in and out before Mundus made its presence.

Loria kept several lockpicks in a pocket to have quick access to them, pulling out one set. Squatting in front of the lock, she placed them inside and started maneuvering them. Typically, the thief made quick work of locks, but the nobles could afford a more complicated lock system, taking her a bit longer to open the door. After several tries at the expense of three picks, she finally had it open and slipped inside. 

Placing her pack on the ground, she rummaged through it, pulling out the ship. There was a sudden movement next to her, and she startled, seeing a fat yellow cat rubbing its face on her leg. Smiling, she rubbed the animal's head. "You are a lousy guard cat," she chuckled under her breath, hearing it purr. 

The family explained that it didn't matter where she put the ship as long as it was hidden from sight. They didn't want the rival family to find the gaudy ship, only the guards when they came to search their house after the rival family was accused. In a room that appeared to be an office on the second floor, she placed the ship in a chest buried under some papers and other storage items.

She stood up and noticed a lot of light outside, knowing it wasn't quite dawn yet. Curious, she looked below to see several guards with torches surrounding the house. "Fuck," she whispered. _That family that hired me better not have betrayed me, or they will be more than sorry,_ she thought bitterly. She and her dagger were going to have a long talk with them. 

Opening the window, she climbed silently out and pulled herself up to the roof, but her foot betrayed her, slipping and getting the guards' attention.

"Look! Up there!"

"Get her!"

Cursing, she climbed on the roof and started running, knowing her pounding feet on the rooftops were probably waking up all the nobles. The only consolation was they guards couldn't reach her, but they could very well shoot her down. Loria could quickly turn to shadow, but not in front of the guards. She didn't want them to know she could do such a thing, not feeling desperate yet. 

Loria ran as fast as the sloping roofs would allow, looking down and behind once in a while to see the guards were close. Slipping up and over the other side of a roof, she cloaked herself in shadow, knowing the guards couldn't see her and climbed down to the ground. Loria jumped and rolled to the ground and took off running as soon as she was stable, hearing the guards close behind, but not able to see her yet. Ducking in a corner, she quickly changed her appearance, threw her cloak and weapons in a barrel, and changed her clothes' color. Unlacing her tunic, her breasts nearly spilled out.

"Halt!" a guard yelled when they saw her. 

Instead of running, Loria wobbled around, nearly falling and braced her body against the wall of a house as if she were too drunk to stand.

The guards didn't know what the thief looked like, and it could be her, but they couldn't be sure, though her clothes were a bit different.

"Whasa matta," she slurred. "Lookin' fer a good time?"

Some of the guards refused to look at her chest, while others couldn't help themselves. Using it to her advantage, she spilled her body into one of the guards who was forced to hold her up, ignoring her nearly bare chest. Loria pushed herself off of him awkwardly, clumsily brushing blonde hair out of her eyes. "Sssorry, I seem to be a bit dizzy," she explained.

"Did you see a cloaked woman running around here?" one of the guards asked, clearing his throat in embarrassment as she made sure one of her breasts fell out of her tunic. The look of all the blushing guards suddenly looking up at the sky was comical as Loria tried not to laugh.

"Wha...who? I thsee no one," she said wobbling.

"Ma'am, it's time for you to go home. You've had enough to drink," a guard ordered, refusing to look at her.

"Shit, we must have lost her. They are going to kill us!" one of them said as the rest of the guards moved on to find the thief that gave them the slip.

"Idiots," she muttered, retrieving her cloak and gear, she changed back to herself as she headed out to meet the bastard family that stabbed her in the back. 

Loria walked into the King and Queen Tavern, the family was waiting for her, but they were with another family. Ducking behind a pillar, she watched the two families, each a husband and wife, looking as if they were in a heated argument.

"Did you really think you could send some thief to plant evidence that we stole your little trinket? We found out your little plot. You lost!"

"We have no idea what you're talking about! We have been here all night celebrating our anniversary," explained the woman who hired Loria.

The bickering went on for a good thirty minutes before the rival family left, smug looks planted on their faces leaving the family that hired her sour in mood. Once the other family was gone, Loria quietly saddled up next to them at their table, seeing their faces sour even more at seeing her as she crossed her legs up on the table. 

"You are lucky I arrived here when I did. Had I not heard your conversation, I would have thought you betrayed me. I was willing to hurt you, seeing as I was nearly caught. And don't think you are getting off lightly. That job turned out harder than it was supposed to, and you better pay up."

"You failed your job," said the man, chin up in defiance. "We won't pay!"

Loria shrugged, eased back in her chair, a crooked smile on her face. "Your choice, just be prepared for a visit from our friends in the Dark Brotherhood. I don't appreciate being betrayed, backstabbed, or swindled out of coin owed to me." The thief lied, not actually having any contact within the Dark Brotherhood, who were nearly wiped out in Cyrodiil. But the couple in front of her didn't know that.

"We did none of those things!" the woman said, a slight panic in her eyes.

"Just pay me what you owe me, and I will be on my way, never to see me again," Loria explained, twirling her dagger dangerously between fingers, a knife that she's had since she was a child.

"But what about the other family?" the man asked, still wanting the other rival family out of the way.

"You're on your own. You failed miserably. It's clear someone knew what you were up to and informed the other family. You need to clean your house before you make another attempt like that again. Now pay up."

"Fine!" the man tossed her the coin purse with her remaining payment. 

Loria thanked them and walked off. "Bitch…" the man muttered. She turned around, and with ghost-like movements, her hand was at the man's throat squeezing. 

"There is another type of person I can't stand in this world, and that is of a sore loser. You slept in the bed, now you have to make it. I am not the source of your problems, but I will be if you really want to lower yourself by calling me a bitch. Then you will know truly what a bitch I can be."

The man nodded quickly, unable to mask his fear, not understanding how the thief could move so fast. 

Loria let go of his throat, smiled, and winked at him, leaving the tavern to head home.

"What an asshole. Papa, I don't know how you ever dealt with those noble pricks," she muttered to herself.

After dawn, when Loria reached home, she settled in the kitchen to grab a bite to eat before her nap, feeling a bit hungry after her near capture. Una was busy baking some meat pies for dinner that night, the old Bosmer woman, not having aged a day since Loria had arrived so long ago.

"Hey, Una! Got any snacks lying around?"

"Child, you eat more than any young and thin woman should eat. I don't know how you manage to keep from getting plump," the old elf chuckled, handing the girl a plate of sliced cheese, apples, and freshly baked bread.

"I'm a growing girl," Loria quipped, digging into the food. "Besides, your food is to die for."

"Flatterer," the old Bosmer scoffed, but a withered smile played on her face.

When Loria was done eating, she pecked the old woman's cheek and headed to her room to crash, but not before she was stopped by Talia. The Imperial woman was much older, and despite the growing wrinkles, she was still beautiful. Andreas died nearly a decade ago, and Talia was now the Guildmaster having been with the Guild the longest, and Andrea's Second.

"Lor! There you are!"

"What did I do now?" she asked, tossing her bag in the corner of her room, tearing off her armor as Talia closed the door behind her.

"I heard what happened," Talia said, crossing her arms. "It is so unlike you to be nearly caught."

"Why am I even surprised you know already? Look, the stupid family I was supposed to set up apparently had a spy and were expecting me, but I made it out just fine, and no one knew I was there," Loria explained, tossing the bag of coin to Talia who fumbled before catching it.

"They still paid you?" 

"Yep, but not without a lot of...coaxing."

"Loria...you can't threaten clients. They may want to hire us again, and now they won't."

"I'm not working for them again. They are idiots who were not careful and nearly got me killed. Besides, the asshole called me a bitch. You know how much I love that," Loria stated, dripping with sarcasm.

"When are you going to grow up, Lor. You're thirty-five Winters old now."

Loria sat on her bed, now undressed into her smalls, slipping on a shift over her head. "I'm aware of my age, Tal. I am good at what I do, enjoy it, but I'm not my father. I'm not a leader or have these high aspirations as he did."

"I wonder if things would have been different had he lived and raised you as you grew up."

Loria waved Talia off indifferently, "It doesn't matter, does it. He's dead."

"Lor…"

"I'm tired, Talia, and need some sleep now," she said dismissively, not wanting to talk anymore about her father. "Oh, and I am not coming home tonight, so don't wait up," she said as if she were still a teenager.

Talia closed Loria's door behind her as she left her room, shaking her head. Loria was so good at what she did, but she never took anything seriously. Talia wondered if she was partly to blame. After all, the Guildmaster did virtually raise the girl, wondering if she was that reckless when she was younger. Perhaps she was. She reflected back on when she met Loria the first time, the girl asking if she had to become a thief, but in the end, Talia knew she would. Once a thief, always a thief.

Loria walked out of the bath, wanting to get clean before her sleepover with Arik. She was strangely nervous about it. They had been seeing each other for nearly eight months, and this would be the first time she stayed the whole night. Loria ignored the fact that despite her not wanting a relationship, she sure had seen Arik long enough for one.

Wrapped in a robe, she rummaged through her wardrobe, looking for something to wear. She wasn't working, so she didn't need to put on her armor. Perhaps a dress? No, she didn't want to give poor Arik a heart attack. She only owned one dress, and she mainly used it for disguises or distractions. It was quite revealing.

Pulling out a red tunic and dark leather breaches, she got dressed and pulled on her old and worn, but comfortable boots. Loria put her hair in her usual side braid, grabbed the ring on the chain, and put it on over her head. She had worn it every day for so long, it was instinctual to wear it. Kissing it for luck, as she did each day since she bought it, she left the house and walked over to Arik's flat. 

Knocking on the door, Arik greeted her with his most charming smile, but it was easy for him to be excited that Loria was staying overnight with him for the first time since they met eight months ago. 

"You look beautiful," he said, giving a peck on the lips.

Loria smiled awkwardly, following him close behind. Inside his small home, the place was filled with delicious aromas of cooking. Arik loved to cook, especially for her. The dinner table was candlelit with a jar of wildflowers brightening the center of it.

"Is that for dinner?" he asked, stirring the food over the fire, referring to the bottle in her hands.

"Yep, some brandy."

"Well, this _is_ a special occasion," he quipped.

"Don't read too much into it," she said, though a smile played on her lips, not explaining to him that the bottle had been stolen.

"I wouldn't dare dream of it." 

Arik pulled out two mugs from his cabinet, not having anything fancier, took the bottle from Loria, and poured them some drinks. "Sorry that I don't have any fine goblets or anything."

"When have you ever known me to care about such things?" Despite her stealing for wealth, she wasn't interested in dating a noble, who were assholes anyway.

"That's why I adore you. You like me for me."

The way Arik said 'adore' left her stomach in flutters, but not in a good way. She wondered if he was starting to fall in love with her, but he had yet to say so. He would say certain things in a way, hoping to get her to recognize what they had on a deeper level, probably afraid to scare her off if he said it outright. He was not wrong.

Loria liked Arik well enough and wasn't entirely sure her reasoning for not wanting more wasn't a bit dysfunctional. Arik was funny, kind, treated her well, good in bed. What more could she possibly ask for? She knew deep down it was that damned Karliah that was the root of her commitment problems.

"Hello, Lor…" he said, waving a hand in her face.

"What?" she asked, startling her being so preoccupied with self-introspections.

"You look very lost in thought."

"It's nothing," she said, as she wrapped her arms about his waist, kissing his neck.

"If I didn't know better, I would say you are trying to distract me from prying into your thoughts."

"Is it working?"

Arik gave a puff of a laugh, more at himself for always giving in to her. "Who would not be distracted by you." He tucked some stray hairs from her face, cupped her chin and kissed her, tasting the brandy on her lips.

The two lovers were tangled limbs, panting and sweating from their lovemaking, facing each other. Arik lifted the ring tied to a chain around her neck, inspected it as if he hadn't seen it a hundred times. "Are you ever going to tell me the story of this ring?"

Loria went from contented relaxation in her sexual fog to suddenly on guard, feeling the walls build up in her mind. Then she thought about it. What did it matter if he knew? Arik knew how her father died, knew where she came from, though never mentioned she was part of the Thieves Guild, Arik believed she worked cleaning houses. It was a decent lie, knowing he would never visit her at work in someone's home.

Shrugging, Loria decided to tell him. "It's no secret lover if that is what you're thinking. No dramatic romance where my lover died."

"I do have to admit, I was wondering about those things."

"I know," she smiled and kissed his nose to lessen her discomfiture from the story. "There was a boy when I was little, well, he was a man when I left Riften. He was my father's apprentice. He was special to me, growing up. I bought this ring when I first came to the Imperial City, and I thought of him when I bought it, saddened by my loss of not only my father but my friend. I can't give it to him, so I just wear it for luck now. Shit, he must be about forty-five Winters by now."

"I see. Thanks for telling me, Lor," he said in honest appreciation, unable to mask the relief in his voice, trailing soft fingers across her cheek.

_Shit those eyes of his just scream love_. 

Loria feigned a yawn indicating she was tired and ready for sleep. Rolling over, she could feel Arik pull her in tightly against his chest as he molded his body against hers.

Loria woke with a start sometime in the night on instinct as it was when she usually left to go back home. Every bone and muscle in her body screamed at her to get up, but she shoved it deep down inside, having promised Arik she would stay until morning. It was strangely uncomfortable, used to leaving, but she stayed, sleep finally found her an hour later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please let us know what you think in the comments. <3
> 
> Next: A return to Riften.


	16. Saying Goodbye Sucks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loria survives her morning with Arik and struggles with not knowing how to handle the good guy he is with her internal struggles with commitment. Word has reached Talia and Loria that the Riften Thieves Guild is suffering, giving Loria an excuse to get out of the relationship with Arik. Loria finally reaches Riften, but not as herself. She has disguised herself as Talia to keep her identity hidden in order to find out what was going on, shocked to find Brynjolf still there. We also finally get to see inside Brynjolf's head after 25 years.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So got some fanart for ya. One is of Loria, the other is of Talia (Loria). Loria didn't quite turn out how I wanted her, but I didn't want to do her over again. It takes a bit of time to create these, not to mention wasting valuable art supplies, but you get the idea.
> 
> Some sexual content, thus NSFW.

Loria woke up after Mundus rose in the sky, the light streaming in the window. Her eyes fluttered open to see a smiling Arik, unable to contain his happiness that she kept her promise. "You did it, and you didn't turn to ash, though I was quite worried a few times feeling you squirm in the night," he jested, nibbling on her neck.

"Nope still here," she giggled, pushing him away and the unease that she survived the night, but it still felt strange to her, like staying the night in a strange inn full of strange people, which was never comfortable. Loria feigned a stretch and started to climb out of bed, ready to go home now that her promise was done.

"Oh no, you don't. I know you don't have to work today. I have you here, and this is my first chance at morning sex. You are not about to leave me with this," Arik laughed, pulling aside the blanket revealing his morning erection.

Loria raised an eyebrow then rolled her eyes, "Are you saying I have to stay to 'service' you in all your morning glory?"

"I say we 'service' each other. I have been dying for a while now, to have you in daylight hours, you are not about to deny me this," he said, in a satire sort of way but Arik was only half-joking, kissing the side of her face. "And not a crusty drool on your face."

His mood was contagious and Loria couldn't help but laugh and give in. Arik just had that way about him, which was probably why she was still with him after all this time. Running fingers through his blonde hair, she pressed her lips to his as he drew her in close, snaking a hand along the soft skin of her back. He gently rolled her on her back to have easier access to her pert breasts, lightly pinching a nipple that he knew she enjoyed. 

Sleep in their eyes, morning breath ignored, the two lovers lazily explored their bodies as if it was the first time and wanted to remember every bit of flesh. Arik twirled a tongue and nibbled on her nipple, not to ignore the other, his hand slid down her firm stomach, slipping fingers between her legs. Inserting fingers through her folds, she quickly filled with wetness in her pleasure. With nothing else to do with her hands as he was busy devouring her body, Loria gasped his hardness in her hand, enjoying his heat penetrating through her palm, that slight pulsing feel as his body readied for her.

Sliding down her body on the bed, she lifted him up, so his shaft was hovering over her face, hearing him moan in pleasure as she took him in her mouth. He thrust gently, allowing her hands to explore the rest of him. Arik loved it when she sucked him. She had a magnificent tongue, and she took her time, but he didn't want to finish that way, wanting to be inside her. The morning for him was an intimate one, not one of lust, this desire to be as close to her as possible. The fact that she stayed as promised meant more to him than he would ever admit to her, but he would convey that through touch.

Moving his body down, he entered her warmth and wetness with a sigh, slowly thrusting to take his time. It was a lazy and tired sort of sex but filled with a different kind of emotion that was felt the previous evening. It was hard for Arik to describe, but it was something he wanted more of. He wanted to tell her these things, but he didn't want this to be their last time, never really understanding her resistance to getting closer, yet staying with him for so long. He knew she had some sort of commitment problems, but last night was a big turning point for them and their relationship.

Forehead to forehead, he pressed his lips to hers, panting, as his thrust picked up speed and depth. Gentle fingers explored his back, slightly tickling him as one of his hands caressed her breast. The orgasm that came was strangely stronger than the one last night, despite the slow and laziness of it, so much so he nearly told her he loved her right then.

After they held each other for a while, Loria finally detangled from Arik to go back home. "I have to get back now," she said lamely.

"When will I see you again?" he asked.

"Mmmm, how about Fredas, three days from now?" she offered.

"Sounds good. Want to meet at the tavern for dinner, drinks, and music?"

"I like that idea, sure."

Loria pecked him on the lips after she was dressed, her way of saying goodbye.

"Lor?"

She turned around, a beautiful smile on her face that nearly crushed him. 

"I know it probably sounds stupid, but thank you for this. Thank you for staying with me."

Loria couldn’t help but frown, not knowing how to respond to that. The fact that he had to thank her for her doing what she probably should have been doing all along left a bad taste in her mouth, feeling guilty for how she had been. Pushing those feelings deep inside as she normally did, she blew him a kiss goodbye and left.

Walking home, she reflected on her relationship with Arik, something she had been doing a lot of recently. Arik was the longest relationship she had ever had, and it was starting to scare her, afraid to get too attached to him. That damned love in his eyes nearly broke her, but she kept trudging forward, too scared to leave him, too afraid to stay.

As she frequently did, Loria was eating in the kitchen, watching Una cook their meals, feeling a bit dejected, which only irritated her knowing she should be happy. Most women would nearly die to have a man like Arik, give him all he wanted.

"You look like you lost your favorite puppy, honey. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Loria replied, picking at her food.

"Nothing, my old, wrinkly ass," the Bosmer said.

Loria couldn't help but laugh at the woman despite her mood. "I don't need to know what your ass looks like, Una," she quipped.

"Seriously, out with it, or I will make you eat that vat of grease over there for dinner."

The thief shuddered at the thought. "Fine, it's my...guy."

"Is he being an asshole?"

Loria snorted, "No, quite the opposite, actually."

"I don't get it... you're upset because he's being...too nice to you?"

"That pretty much sums it up."

"Horker shit. You're just afraid he loves you. I can see it. I know what fear of commitment looks like. I've been there and done that."

"You've been afraid to commit before?"

"I have. I'm old and have had all sorts of issues," the old woman cackled.

"I really like Arik, but, yeah, he's feeling more for me than I'm ready for."

"How long have you two been together?"

"Around eight months now."

"Honey, honey, honey...if you don't know by now if you want to be with him or eventually love him, then you definitely have a problem, and I don't think it's him. It is understandable he wants more from you by now. You are quite the catch with your looks and charm and humor."

"Flattering me isn't going to fix this, Una!"

The Bosmer laughed again. "I know it won't, but you need to see his side of things instead of being scared. You're going to have to make a decision and soon before he gets in too deep with you. If he's as good as you say he is, it is unfair to string him along, only getting what you want out of it and offering nothing else to him."

Loria didn't think about it like that, realizing she was selfish to stay with him, content with how things were, and not willing to really give much else to Arik in return.  _ No wonder he complains so much about me not staying the night. _

"Let me guess...you are afraid if you tell him you don't want anything serious, he will end things with you," Una continued.

Loria nodded as her way of an answer.

"Well, as I've said, you have a decision to make, and you better do it soon. Be nice to the poor lad. It sounds like he deserves a bit of honesty, even if he's not happy with the outcome."

She sighed and nodded again, "You're right, Una. I have to think about things. Fuck, this shit is hard!"

"Having a healthy and strong relationship is never easy. Ending things with someone you care about is just as difficult."

"Urgh, that doesn't help, Una!"

"That's life, honey."

Loria thanked Una for her sound but gloomy advice and walked over to say hi to Talia before she bathed, needing to wash all the sex off her.

"Come in," Talia shouted from the other side of her closed door.

Loria walked in to see Talia going through her morning routine of paperwork and inventory, eyes concentrated on the ledger before her. The thief plopped into a cushioned chair and waited until Talia looked up, not wanting to interrupt her.

The Guildmaster put down her quill and looked at Talia, picking at her cuticle. "Morning. Did you have fun last night?"

"I did."

"You don't look like you did."

"It's nothing...I don't need to have another depressing talk about my love life. One Una is enough for me."

Talia chuckled, knowing full well what it was like to talk to the old Bosmer, who had a life-time experience in nearly all things. "I won't say anything, then. But I'm glad you are here."

Loria looked up from studiously destroying her cuticle as her interest was piqued.

Talia handed a scroll to Loria, who opened it and read its contents. Loria looked up at her leader and adopted mother, wide-eyed, not expecting to read about her father's Guild up in Riften. Apparently, there were a few thieves from there making their way down to the Imperial City to work for the Guild here. They have been struggling for years, and the Riften Guild was slowly diminishing in wealth and power. The thieves who weren't fully dedicated were tired of it and leaving, seeking their wealth elsewhere.

"What's this about? What's going on up there. My father left the Guild in a well-off state."

"It seems they have been dealing with some bad luck for a while now. Some say it is cursed," Talia laughed under her breath. "As if I believe that."

"My mother would be in charge of such things. Of course, they could be cursed, Talia. Someone did something to piss her off."

The whole idea unnerved Loria, and she wondered how Brynjolf was faring if he was even still there. Her father worked hard to make the Guild in Skyrim what it was. He established noble connections, it was wealthy, powerful, and feared. How could someone run it to the ground to that extent? The more she thought about it, the angrier she was.  _ Someone must be responsible _ . If it wasn't a curse, then surely someone was destroying it from ineptitude or intentionally. Loria wished she could talk to her Daedric mother, but despite trying countless times to reach out over the years, there was never any response. She often wondered if her mother even cared or why she bothered to have Loria.

Putting down the scroll, Loria made up her mind. "I would like permission to go up there and see what is going on. That was my father's second child, so to speak. It sort of ticks me off that this is what the Guild has become."

"Denied. We need you here."

"You don't need me here. The Guild in Cyrodiil has been around forever and doing well before I ever came along. Be honest. Why can't I go?"

Talia felt selfish for denying Loria. Loria was right, they would survive without her, but Talia would miss her. The girl was practically her own daughter. She sighed and nodded. "You're right. I knew there could be a day you would leave, and I was dreading it. I just want you to stay with me. I love you, and you have been a part of my life for so long."

Loria softened. It wasn't often Talia expressed how she felt about anything, so expressing her love for Loria was unusual, though Loria always knew Talia cared for her. "I love you too, but I need to do this."

"Fine...very well. You can go. Please stay in touch and let me know everything that is going on," the Guildmaster agreed.

"I will," Loria promised. "I will pack up tonight and head out in the morning."

After she met with Talia, Loria sunk in the warm waters of the bath lost in thought. She wondered if she was eager to quickly leave to not have to face the truth to Arik. It was always easier to run, wasn't it? She didn't want to hurt him, but this situation in Riften gave her an excellent excuse to do just that, to run, without having to explain to him that she couldn't give him what he wanted. It saddened her as she wondered if a man like Arik couldn't capture her heart, would there ever be anyone who could? She had commitment issues, but she didn't want to be alone for the rest of her life either. It was two desires that ran incongruent of each other, pulling her in separate directions.

But then why couldn't she be alone? What was she afraid of? The whole realization depressed her. When it came to the opposite sex, her mental state befuddled her mind, and usually, the main reason things always ended badly with previous relationships. At least with Arik, she would do him the courtesy of not trampling on his heart, well she would try.

The surprise on Arik's face was evident when he opened his door to find Loria standing in front of him, not expecting her, especially after just seeing her that morning. But it wasn't a pleasant sort of surprise judging by the look on her face.

"Lor, what's going on? I wasn't expecting to see you already."

There was a part of Loria that hoped his surprise was because he was cheating on her, giving her a good excuse to hate him, but Arik wasn't that type of man. She tried to avoid his hazel eyes as she walked in and sat in his small kitchen.

"Lor?"

Arik sat down dejectedly. He knew it was coming. He tried. He really tried to give Loria a good relationship, but he could tell just by looking at her it was over. 

"I've come to say goodbye," she said, feeling strangely saddened by the prospect, lip quivering.

"We are through then," he said in more of a statement rather than a question, unable to look at her either. 

An unwanted tear slipped down her face as she nodded. "My father's business that he worked so hard to build is crumbling down. I am headed back to Skyrim, to Riften, to see what is going on and fix things."

"But will you be back?" he asked with a tiny shred of hopefulness that it was only temporarily over, that Loria would return when she fixed things.

"I honestly don't know. I don't know what will happen or how long this is going to take me." Loria reached for Arik's face, brushed a thumb across his cheek as more tears spilled out of her eyes. "I can honestly say I'm going to miss you terribly."

Arik looked up at her then to see the truth of her words, but knew she was using the travel as an excuse. "Why wasn't I good enough for you?"

She removed her hand, looking down at the floor as if it held all the answers to life's questions. "I'm the one not good enough for you. I haven't been forthcoming to you, but I have serious commitment issues that have a lot to do with my father's death. It's something I have struggled with for years. You are the closest I have come to something meaningful. You are such a good man and I really tried...I really did. I just don’t know how to deal with my issues."

"I know you've struggled. Did you really believe I didn't recognize that? It didn't stop me from trying, hoping I gave you enough," he admitted.

Loria didn't know what to say to that. She wanted to leave, she wanted to stay, wanted to run, and wanted to kiss him. Her mind and heart were so confused.

Arik picked up her hands, resting on her lap and held them. "Lor, since this is over, I can tell you now without fear of you fleeing that I love you. I'm not going to beg. I’m not trying to make you feel worse and I'm not going to try to change your mind and force you into something you cannot do. But it is how I feel. I love you," he said again.

That was when she let go and wept. Arik pulled her into an embrace while she cried. She cared about him, but just not enough to stay. His words hurt, yet filled her with some strange sort of hope. Abruptly she stood up and pulled away from his grasp. "I never deserved you," she said and walked out his door and out of his life forever.

Dawn was soon to arrive as he woke up, trying not to disturb the wench still sleeping and curled in the covers. Pulling up his smalls and breeches, he walked over to the dresser and poured water into the bowl from the pitcher. Splashing the cold water on his face, he looked at his reflection in the looking glass, rubbing the scruff on his chin. It seemed there was more and more gray sprinkling through his red whiskers, just a few more wrinkles creasing on the outside of his eyes. 

Brynjolf pulled his tunic over his head, then sat on the bed to pull his boots on. Gold was getting scarce in the Guild, and he was forced to sell his fake elixir of Falmer Blood in the market to make ends meet. It was beneath him and not what he was trained for, but what other choice was there? The whole scam perpetually put him in a foul mood, but he was forced to sell it with a fucking smile planted on his face. 

The wench stirred awake to his movements on the bed, dragging nails across his back. "You sure you don't want another round, honey?"

Standing abruptly, he left the room, ignoring her. Treading downstairs, Haelga was there with a smug look on her face. "So, you promised," she said.

Brynjolf nodded, "Aye, I will give you a discount on our protection services this month for the use of your more private room." 

"Don't forget it! I better not get any harassers coming my way this month expecting full payment," she said, pulling up her blonde hair into a bun, getting ready for the day.

Haelga was the worshiper of Dibella, as Brynjolf was, and while she was quite beautiful, she was a bitch, so they never connected in any intimate way. It didn't help that he was forced to collect 'protection payments' from the shops and inns of Riften to help bring in gold to the Guild, including her Bunkhouse. It irritated him to no end that this was what they have been reduced to—mere thugs and con-artists. It was not what he trained for all those years ago. Gallus would be rolling in his grave if he knew. 

Most of the thieves were still sleeping in the Cistern, what's left of them. There were about a dozen left as the rest had fled to either make their own way or head to Cyrodiil to the Guild there. He opened his trunk and pulled out his only noble outfit, slipping it on. He had to be presentable when selling his fake concoction, looking respectable as if he were actually honest.

Brynjolf had another job to do while in the Market, but he had been unable to find anyone to help out. The other thieves were busy with their own jobs. He had to break into Madesi's stall, an Argonian, in the market to steal a valuable ring and plant it on the Dunmer, Brand-Shei, who also sold his wares in the Market. Someone hired to Guild frame the Dunmer and have him arrested for the theft. Brynjolf didn't ask the why's or the who's. He just did as he was told since it was gold in the Guild's pocket. 

Delvin, fortunately, was still around and one of the few who kept Brynjolf sane. Though he wished Delvin would quit his rantings about the Guild being cursed. The whole idea was ridiculous. The Guild was just going through some hard times, but he couldn't help but wonder if it was indeed Nocturnal's doing. He had to admit a lot changed after Gallus died, knowing he was tied to the Daedric Prince. Then there was Loria, Nocturnal's daughter, someone he hadn't seen since she was ten Winters, wondering if she was even still alive. Bryjolf would be surprised if she was since she was so young. Then again, he was almost the same age when he was on his own, so who knew.

Brynjolf reached his stall and unlocked the cabinet to pull out all his elixirs, displaying them on the stand. Painting a fake smile on his face and adding excited inflection in his voice, he called out to the crowd about his fantastic potion.

"Make love like a Sabre Cat, or crush your enemies to dust like a Giant..."

"Learn a whole library's worth of knowledge in moments, or grow back that missing limb..."

The whole notion that his Falmer Blood elixir, which was really just crushed snowberries with some other harmless ingredients to give it a strange flavor, was ridiculous, though some were periodically fooled.

Each day he was out there chanting his wares, he would keep an eye out for a potential candidate to help him in his framing of the Dunmer. He would have felt guilty about it, but Brand-Shei frequently heckled him, especially when he was trying to make a sale, causing Brynjolf to lose valuable coins.

That was when he saw her. Her red hair was nearly as bright a shade darker. She simply wore it down around her shoulders as she looked curiously about the town. Brynjolf had never seen her before, but her eyes...those dark eyes had seen a lot. She definitely worked in his world. That was a thief who walked his way, trying not to look directly at him, and a good one, if he were any judge. She would be perfect.

It was late morning when Loria finally arrived in Riften a week later. She stabled Nebula, her black mare, then walked to the Riften gates. After she got past the guards who were trying to harass her for coin, she walked through the gates as nostalgia hit her like a slap on the face. Memories she thought long forgotten flashed through her mind, familiar odors invaded her thoughts. Memories of playing with the orphans, bothering shop owners, swimming in the lake, learning to read at the Temple of Mara. The worst of those memories was of her father. It hit her like a ton of bricks and brought about a flood of renewed grief. She managed to push it all down and hold together while she explored Riften and wondered how little had changed in her twenty-five years she had been gone.

She needed a place to stay and knew the exact place to go, pleased the Argonians were still running the Bee & Barb. Her disguise was holding quite well as no one recognized her. Though she left as a child, her eyes would easily give away who she was. Loria decided to use Talia's appearance from her younger days since she was so familiar with the woman's face. 

Throwing her pack in her rented room, she put some coin in a pocket of her leather jacket and headed to the market and checked out the rest of the town for memory sake.

Loria almost felt the ground drop from underneath her when she saw him there. He was much older than she remembered him, but there was no mistaking Brynjolf. No mistaking that voice. He was a thief! What was he doing selling fake elixir? Had times really fallen that hard on the Guild?

She tried not to stare at him as he peddled his potions, looking around the market. His voice filled her with warm memories of her childhood. He watched over her frequently when her father and Karliah were out of town, he would help her train when she struggled with archery or dagger throwing. Brynjolf always watched over her and protected her. It was painful to see him, but she was strangely happy to see he was still alive and still around. Loria didn’t realize she was clutching the ring around her neck.

There should have been more thought behind her decision before she rode into Riften. Loria should have thought about how she would react if she saw Brynjolf again, her mind preoccupied the whole way with thoughts of Arik and leaving him. She missed him terribly, but in the end, she knew she made the right decision. He needed someone who would love him back. He deserved a wife and a family, things she would never be able to give him. Arik deserved better than her.

Loria was at a vendor's booth looking at some weapons when she sensed someone standing close behind her. Alarmed, she spun on her heels, reaching for her dagger behind her back, barely unable to control the shock on her face seeing Brynjolf smile at her. Heart hammering, she wondered if he could see through her disguise, but it was fleeting as soon as he started talking to her.

"Never done an honest day's work in your life for all that coin you're carrying, eh lass?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let us know what you think in the comments! <3
> 
> Next: Loria faces blow after blow realizing how bad the Thieves Guild has turned out.


	17. A String of Letdowns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loria tries to find out what Brynjolf wants from her as Talia, as she tries to find a way inside the Thieves Guild. Once she's there, she's faced with disappointment after disappointment after she finds out what had become of Gallus' beloved Guild.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is fairly canon here, but I am also establishing a dynamic between Brynjolf and Loria, as she learned her old friend over again.

Loria was proud of herself for not fleeing in the shadows, holding her body together, at Brynjolf's sudden appearance at her side. That didn't stop her heart from trying to burst itself out of her chest, swearing the man could hear it. It was only through years of training and practice that she could come off as calm and showing slight disinterest in what the man had to say. 

"I'm sorry, what? Are you talking to me?" she asked, taking in every detail of his face without being obvious. The smooth face of his youth had given way to wrinkles around his eyes and a deep crease between the eyebrows, from constant brow-furrowing. A large scar went from his left ear down to near his mouth. It was a nasty scar, and she wondered how he got it. The scruff on his face was dusted with gray, but the hair, while not as vibrant red as it once was, held the same length that went past his chin to the tops of his shoulders. Loria couldn't help the sadness that filled her that she missed out on his life for so long. 

Was he married? Did he ever marry? Does he have kids? Was he in love? Was he happy? All those questions and more washed through her mind like river rapids. Looking at his hands, there was no ring, so she assumed he had no wife at home.

Brynjolf nodded, not taking his eyes off the woman, watching her analyze and scrutinize. Her eyes were so dark and intelligent, feeling like the void itself. He had seen brown eyes before, but not that dark. He put on his most charming smile, "I'm saying you've got the coin, but you didn't earn a Septim of it honestly. I can tell."

Loria knew he was up to something, unsure what yet, cocking an eyebrow and a smirk. "Now, how could you possibly know that? What I have or not is tucked neatly away in my coat," she said, deciding to play along with his little game to see where he was taking this.

"It's all about sizing up your mark, lass. The way they walk, what they're wearing, are their eyes wary, watchful, confident... It's a dead giveaway."

She wanted to laugh or cry, but Loria couldn't figure out which, perhaps both. It was something her father used to say. It was something she too was trained in, using a lot of Gallus' methods in the Guild in Cyrodiil. Lifting her chin, she tried to convey offense, happy to play his little game to find out what he really wanted. "My wealth is none of your business."

"Oh, but that's where you're wrong, lass. Wealth _is_ my business. Maybe you'd like a taste?" he offered teasingly, taunting, laying on his brogue accent extra thick the way women liked it.

_And there we have it. Bryn wants me to do a job for him_. "What did you have in mind?" she asked, continuing to play along, acting as if she was intrigued yet cautious. Maybe it would be a good way to get into the Guild. Loria hadn't decided how she was going to do that, but Brynjolf gave her the perfect opportunity. 

Brynjolf smiled, inwardly pleased that he got her, hook, line and sinker. Strangely for a thief, she was easily manipulated, or perhaps she already knew and was just eager for some work. _No, she conveys intelligence. She’s playing along_. "I've got a bit of an errand to perform, but I need an extra pair of hands. In my line of work, extra hands are well-paid."

_Not from what I have heard about the Guild as of late_. But Loria wasn't here for gold. She was there to fix things that her father worked so hard to build. The Thieves Guild had been his baby, next to her and the Eyes of Falmer. "What sort of errand?" she asked, adding on a dash of wariness, arms folded in impatience, continuing to play her part.

"Simple... I'm going to cause a distraction, and you're going to steal Madesi's silver ring from a strongbox under his stand. Once you have it, I want you to place it in Brand-Shei's pocket without him noticing." Brynjolf masked his relief that he finally found someone to do the job for him. Though she didn't outright say yes, he knew he had her, and she would do it. 

Loria scoffed, "I'm sorry, but you act like I should know who these people are." The job was stupid and beneath her talents—Oblivion...they were beneath Brynjolf, but she would do it for him. He clearly needed someone, and she needed a way into the Guild. 

Brynjolf sucked in his irritation, conveying patience, a smile still on his face. "I will get to that, lass."

"Fair enough. So, Why plant the ring on Brand-Shei?" Loria asked, not really caring, but she didn't want to walk into this small job blindly either.

The woman sure did have a lot of questions, which generally would irritate him, but it showed that she was serious about the job. "We've been contracted to make sure Brand-Shei remembers not to meddle in affairs that aren't his own. Now, since we're not the Dark Brotherhood, we're not going to kill him, we're just going to make sure he sits in the prisons for a few days."

Hiding her surprise, Loria was pleased, at least one of her father's tenets has held in the Guild. "Alright, let's say I do this, and I haven't committed yet just so you know, but how would I do all this?"

Oh, yes, he definitely had her. "Do you want me to hold your hand as well, lass? You're going to have to sneak to Madesi's stall and use your lockpick on the strongbox. Then when you have the ring, you pickpocket Brand-Shei and leave it behind."

So much for charm, she thought, narrowing her eyes at him. She hated to be talked down to like she was an idiot, the condescension thick. It was so unlike the Byrnjolf she used to know, but a lot can happen in twenty-five years. 

"Do you want me to do this job or not? You clearly have a plan, and I want to make sure I do it the way _you_ want me to. No need to be an ass," she huffed, unable to contain her irritation. Another thing to sadden her was that he was not that carefree, happy, young man she used to know. Then again, neither was she.

Instead of losing his patience further with her, he cocked a smile, exuding charm. "Apologies, lass. It's just been a long morning. So, are you in or not?"

Loria gave him one of her own charming smiles and nodded. "Very well, let's get this over with."

He nodded and walked over to his stand, pulling out a bottle that looked different from his 'Falmer Blood.' "Everyone! Everyone! Gather 'round! I have something amazing to show you that demands your attention! Gather 'round all! No pushing, no shoving. Plenty of room!" he yelled out to start his distraction.

"Come on, Brynjolf... what is it this time?" the Dunmer heckled, laughing under his breath, wondering what other schemes the man had going on this time.

"Patience, Brand-Shei. This is a rare opportunity, and I wouldn't want you to get left out." _Don't worry, you will get yours, Brand-Shei._

"That's what you said about the Wisp Essence, and it turned out to be crushed nirnroot mixed with water!" the Argonian, Madesi, chortled, slapping a hand on his knee.

Ignoring him, Brynjolf continued his spiel. "Lads and lasses, I give you Dragonblood Elixir! You know there has been a rise in dragons, and I was lucky enough to obtain some of their actual blood! You know they are immortal and full of magic, their very blood is what keeps them alive! One sip of my elixir and your wishes will be granted. You want great wealth, everlasting life, or perhaps unlimited power! It could be yours to live like a dragon!"

Now that Brynjolf had everyone's attention, Loria slowly walked over to Madesi's stall. Once the coast was clear of guards, she ducked behind the short stone wall surrounding the market, pulled out her picks, and made quick work of the flimsy sliding storage door. The strongbox was a bit more tricky, but it was nothing Loria couldn't handle.

While keeping a lookout for guards, she blindly felt around the small box for a ring that Byrnjolf was certain was in there. Smiling when she touched it, Loria pulled it out, closed the box and door, locking them back up, and made her way over to the Dunmer. He was heckling, and she tried not to laugh at Brynjolf, struggling to control his composure at being interrupted. Hiding behind some crates the Brand-Shei was sitting on, she quickly and effortlessly slipped the ring into his pocket. Yes, it was a straightforward job. Brynjolf could have really chosen anyone to do it and wondered why he wanted her.

Loria walked over to a bench to sit and wait for Brynjolf to finish his spiel. She tried not to smile as she watched him saunter over, happiness plastered on his handsome face that the job was done. 

He sat down next to her, handing her a bag of coins. "Looks like I chose the right person for the job. And here you go... your payment, just as I promised.” Brynjolf looked out towards the market and throng of people as if lost in thought. “The way things have been going around here, it's a relief that our plan went off without a hitch." Brynjolf's smile was gone, his eyes took on a faraway look.

There it was, the reason he was meticulous in choosing someone experienced for the job. He was worried about failure. "Oh, what's been going on?" Loria asked, playing dumb.

Brynjolf waved a hand of indifference to her. "Bah. My organization's been having a run of bad luck for a while now, but I suppose that's just how it goes. But never mind that, you did the job and you did it well. Best of all, there's more where that came from... if you think you can handle it."

_And here comes the invitation_ , precisely as she hoped, but she decided to play coy. "Hmmm, I don't know. The money is nice, but…"

"Come now, lass. I know you are an experienced thief. You can try to play dumb, but I know a thief when I see one." Brynjolf sighed, mentally crossing his fingers that if he brought her into the Guild, things would start to improve, but so far, his recruitment had only marginally been successful. This woman practically stumbled onto his lap, and he wasn't going to push his opportunity aside. "Look, I'll make this simple for you. The group I represent has its home in the Ratway beneath Riften... a tavern called the Ragged Flagon. When you make up your mind, come find me there, and we'll talk about your future."

"I'm Talia, by the way," she offered, as well as her hand, using her Guildmaster and adopted mother’s name and appearance.

"Brynjolf," he replied, returning her handshake.

Standing up, he brushed off the back of his noble jacket and left, hoping she would make her way to them, hoping he did enough to encourage her to join and walked away to grab a pint at the Bee and Barb. It was early, but he'd had enough of lowering himself for the day.

Loria watched Brynjolf leave, unable to mask the sadness in her eyes. The man looked dejected, just living life day-to-day. It broke her heart to see him turn out that way. She grasped the ring around her neck for comfort and nearly ran to him, telling him she was Loria. The desire to just give him a hug and let him know it was going to be OK now was overwhelming. But she held back. She needed to see what was going on in the Guild first before she revealed herself.

Bypassing him in the tavern to not run into Brynjolf, Loria headed to her room to change out of her traveling clothes and put on her light leather armor. She took the time to change back into herself, relaxing for a moment. The disguise was going to take a lot of effort to hold for long periods, but she was confident she could do it. She's had years of practice, just not for this long. At least she had an enchanted ring to help maintain the magic. For now, she rested a bit before she changed her appearance once more and headed out to 'find' the Guild. She already knew where it was, though it was so very long ago. But first, there was something she must do before that.

Loria was enjoying the cooler temperatures of Skyrim, missing it, having never gotten used to the warmer weather of central Cyrodiil. She pulled on Nocturnal's cowl and stood under the cover of darkness, digging around in the ground next to the door. She found the rock she was looking for, hoping she wouldn't have to break in. She was pleasantly surprised the key was still there after all those years, though it was starting to get buried in the dirt. Wiping the dirt away, she inserted the key into the lock, but both were a bit rusty. The lock finally clicked, and she opened the door, cringing at the squeaky hinges, quickly looking around to see if anyone heard the noise.

Pulling off a glove, she cast a mage light to see in the darkness. Disappointment and sadness filled her to see her old home so dilapidated. She hoped that Brynjolf would have stayed and taken care of the place, but she understood why he couldn't. It was filled with so much happiness, yet so much grief—a reminder of all that they lost. 

Her old home, so filled with happy memories of her childhood, was now falling apart. Memories like ghosts, of her playing pranks on her family, reading books, snuggling with her father during stormy nights. Plants were growing inside, the roof leaked, furniture was falling apart. Despite that, everything was left as it was—everything in its place just as Loria remembered.

If she were to remain in Riften, she vowed she would find a way to obtain the house again and fix it up. She hoped most of the furniture could be salvageable, especially her father's old desk that he spent countless hours using in his Falmer research. Or his bed she had spent so many nights sleeping with him whenever she had a nightmare. The mattress was rotted, but it was the bed itself that held the faded memories. All those happy memories turned to a wave of anger she hadn't felt in a while, a wave of anger directed at Karliah who took everything from her and Brynjolf. It felt nearly raw all over again now that she was home back in Riften.

Loria left the house, locked it, and put the key back under its rock. She would return soon, determined to live there again, then she could do a more thorough search of the place, hoping to find some of her father's things, especially his journal, not knowing he had already given it to Karliah. She had his Falmer book, cowl, and bow, but she wanted more. Soon greedy with the desire to have as much of her father's things as possible as if his personal things would somehow bring her closer to him.

The Ratway was just as she remembered it. The ancient sewers were exactly the same as when she was a child; that smell of mold, piss, and rot flooded her with memories. The walk was short when she reached the door to the Ragged Flagon. She suddenly found herself nervous, hand paused at the door handle, and reluctant to go in. Loria wondered who was left of the Guild that was around when she was a child, anyone other than Brynjolf.

The clean and damp air hit her nostrils, cleansing them as soon as she opened the door. The tavern was dark other than a few candles burning on the other side where the people sat and talked, drinking their mead. It just added to that sense of depression and despair that she sensed in Brynjolf. As she slowly walked forward, taking everything in, she could hear arguing.

"Give it up, Brynjolf... those days are over," said a man she couldn't see yet.

"I'm telling you, this one is different..." Bryjolf said, unable to hide his defensiveness.

"We've all heard that one before, Bryn! Quit kidding yourself," a deeper voice said.

"It's time to face the truth, old friend. You, Delvin, Mercer... you're all part of a dying breed. Things are changing!"

Loria rounded the corner and could see two men arguing with Byrnjolf, another sitting down quietly eating— _Delvin_? There was also a beautiful blonde woman about Loria's age leaning against a wall, arms folded defiantly, but not joining in the argument. She masked her surprise when she turned to see Brynjolf looking right at her, surprised he could hear her coming despite the arguing men. 

"Dying breed, eh? Well, what do you call that then!" he said smugly, pointing at Loria. He walked over to her, a crooked smile on his face, pleased she showed up, hiding his relief. "Well, well... color me impressed, lass. I wasn't certain I'd ever see you again!"

"How could I resist your delightful charms," she quipped, adding an eye-roll for effect.

"I am quite charming, aren't I?" he said, returning the joke back at her.

"But I don't know why I bothered. This place looks like it has seen better days." Loria had to admit the state of the tavern was disappointing, and she didn't even want to know what the Cistern looked like.

Brynjolf's defensiveness returned on his face. He knew the place looked horrible, not having money would do that, but he was still protective of the Guild, his home, his family. "If you were expecting a palace, then maybe you're not cut out for this kind of work. Our methods involve secrecy and discretion. Now... if you're done bellyaching like a child, how about handling a few deadbeats for me?"

"Deadbeats?" _Is that what my father's Guild has turned into? Just a bunch of thugs?_ "I thought this was the Thieves Guild, not a half-assed version of the Dark Brotherhood. I don't break kneecaps, and if that is what you thought I was going to do, you can forget it." Loria really needed to be on the inside, but she wasn't about to lower herself to thuggery. 

Brynjolf's eyes narrowed at her. "How did you…"

"That you are the Thieves Guild? You knew I was a thief and as a thief, a good one, knows the Thieves Guild of Riften, well, what it used to be because clearly, this isn't it." She just couldn't let it go, could she? She just had to push things, her irritation shining through like a beacon, but she was getting angry at what her father's legacy has turned into.

Brynolf slowly approached her and stood close with the intention of intimidation, but she looked up at him refusing to back down. She wasn't afraid of Brynjolf, her childhood friend, no matter what he's become. 

"I would take care, lass. This is my home and family. I protect it, and I will not accept anything other than loyalty. Do I make myself clear? If you want to be a part of this family, you will do what you are told. Now, I'm not asking you to break kneecaps. I'm asking you to get our owed coin. If you can talk them into it, then do it, just no killing."

Loria gave in, pushing back her anger to do what he asked. She would deal with it for now. Once she got to the bottom of things, all would change, hopefully for the better. "Fine. Who are they?"

"Keerava and Bersi Honey-Hand. Normally Haelga would need some coaxing, but she’s...paid up for the month. Do this job and I promise you a permanent place in our organization."

_Shit, not Keerava_ , she fretted in her head. Keerava used to give her a sweet roll once in a while as a child. She didn't know who Bersi was, so she could deal with him, but she always adored Keerava. That also meant she was going to have to change her appearance once more, not wanting the Argonian to know her guest was harassing her out of protection money. 

"Fine." After getting the details she needed on the two marks, she headed out to do her job, feeling dirty. She decided to do Keerava last, not wanting to face the poor old Argonian woman.

Loria's fists hurt, even with gloves at the thrashing she gave Bersi. She felt disgusted with the tactics, trying to talk them into paying, but he outright refused and threatened Loria with bodily harm. Bersi just laughed in her face that the Guild couldn't even protect itself, so why would he need to pay a bunch of thieves for protection. The man had a point.

Standing in a corner, she healed her throbbing hands, not used to physical fighting unless it was absolutely necessary, then headed to speak with Keerava. Turning her hair a mousy brown, hazel eyes and a plump face when no one was looking, she walked into the Bee and Barb.

Taking a deep breath, she stepped forward, praying to all the gods she wouldn't have to get physical with the Argonian. "I have a message for you from Brynjolf."

Keevara dropped her head in disappointment, tired of paying the Guild for nothing. Protection they called it, but rarely did they ever protect her, but if she didn't, they threatened her. She knew the woman was coming after hearing about Bersi. Keevara didn't want to fight, so she just gave in. "Look, tell Brynjolf it was all a misunderstanding. Here take it. It's all I have, I swear!" she pleaded.

Loria felt dirty, but she promised herself later she would make it up to Keevara. When all were in bed, she would sneak down and leave a bag of coin for the Argonian woman. It was weird for a thief to give, but Loria's father taught her to treat the poor well, and the Guild just took all that Keevara had.

Pocketing the gold, she headed back to the Ratway. She found it hard to believe that Brynjolf would stand for such things, but who knows. People change after twenty-five years. Regardless, it was disappointing.

Loria tried not to look dejected, lifted her chin proudly, handing Brynjolf the gold she acquired. "It's done. I have all their payments."

Brynjolf took the bags of coins, pleased she handled the job despite her misgivings. He hated forcing the people of Riften to pay as well, understanding her distaste for it, but such was the way of things. He wasn't in charge, Mercer was. "So, the job's done, and you even brought the gold. Best of all, you did it clean. I like that. Dumping bodies and keeping the guards quiet can be expensive."

_Dumping bodies? Oh, Bryn, please don't tell me you all have lowered yourselves to murder._ "I thought you didn't commit murder," she said, begging him with her eyes to tell her it wasn't true.

"It's happened now and again, but I...I try to hold onto the original principles of the Guild," he admitted. "Anyway, well done. And it would seem I owe you something in return. Here you go, I think you'll find these quite useful."

Loria pocketed the small bag of coin and threw the potions into her pack. "So, what now? Need any more fingers broken?" she asked, not hiding her disdain.

Brynjolf looked at the lovely red-head. She was stubborn and headstrong, which was good, but he knew it was also going to give him a headache, just as Vex did once in a while. Biting his tongue, he gave her one of his charming smiles. "Well, I'd say you've done more than prove yourself and will fit in quite nicely here. Are you interested in becoming part of the family, lass?"

"Hey, wherever there is decent gold, I'm there!" she exclaimed.

"That's the spirit! Larceny is in your blood... the telltale sign of a practiced thief." He was relieved she decided to join them despite her attitude. Of course, they dealt with Vex frequently, and she was a dragon compared to Talia. "Follow me…"

"Brynjolf, before we go, I have to ask you something."

"What's on your mind, lass?"

"Well, word on the street is the Guild isn't doing too well. What exactly am I getting myself into here?" Loria asked, hoping to get more details on the problems going on in her father's Guild.

"We've run into a rough patch lately, but it's nothing to be concerned about. Tell you what. You keep making us coin, and I'll worry about everything else. Fair enough?"

She raised her hands in defense, "Fair enough." Since Brynjolf wasn't forthcoming, she was going to have to figure things out on her own. If she could get close to him, perhaps he would tell her more. As he walked away, she followed closely, knowing he would take her to the Cistern. 

The Cistern hadn't changed much. It was still flowing with fresh water, beds lined the stone walls, and a cooking area. The only difference was things were run down. The beds were old and rickety, and no one seemed to take the time to really clean up the place properly. Had it always been like this? Perhaps she was just used to Una around who cooked and cleaned, already missing Una's meals.

Standing in the center of the small bridge going over the pool of water stood Mercer. She remembered him from her youth, though he was older, of course, around nearly sixty years of age. The wrinkles were deep, and his hair gray, but those piercing blue eyes were still the same. As a Breton, he was shorter than she was, noticing as she drew near to him. _Did he always have a scowl on his face before?_ Loria couldn't remember.

Mercer watched the beautiful red-head approach, assuming she was the new recruit Brynjolf was talking about. Brynjolf had turned into a sorry excuse for a Second, failing in hiring decent thieves and keeping the Guild flowing with coin. He had lost faith in the younger man, not realizing the string of bad luck in the years was due to Nocturnal's betrayal, thanks to him. He was done testing out new recruits in small jobs. If Brynjolf wanted this woman to be a part of the Guild, she was going to have to go above and beyond, make sure she was committed, and he had just the job for her.

"I hope you didn't bring this piece of candy here because you're thinking with your dick again, Brynjolf. This better not be another waste of the Guild's resources," Mercer said, not caring if the woman heard him or not. 

Brynjolf couldn't control the flush to his face. "No, I…" 

Loria wasn't going to put up with it. She couldn't stand when men treated her like she was just a piece of meat or the way Mercer treated Brynjolf right then. The woman stood face to face with him, more like looking down on him, arms folded behind her back. She conveyed a relaxed demeanor, but her eyes said otherwise, signaling danger, ignoring Brynolf’s head shakes. "This piece of candy could out steal you, out pickpocket you, out lockpick you any day. Your biggest mistake is not paying close enough attention to your mark, underestimating her. And if this is how you treat your Second, I feel sorry for all those who work under you." One thing Loria knew for sure, Mercer was the part of the problem the Guild was facing.

Gallus' words rang in Mercer's ears the day he tried to steal from the man. He had paid attention to all Gallus had told him and taught him, but it was all lies. Gallus was just a con-artist who tricked people into getting what he wanted. He would use them and throw them away like they were garbage. "We will see," was all Mercer said, not backing down. He wasn't going to put up with this new recruit's shit. "I want to make one thing perfectly clear. If you play by the rules, you walk away rich. You break the rules, and you lose your share. No debates, no discussion... you do what we say when we say."

Loria could hear Brynjolf groan with worry, feeling a knot in the pit of her stomach. She wondered if she just pushed the man too far. She accused Mercer of not paying attention and underestimating her, missing the danger in the man's tone. Mercer was about to test her and test her in a dangerous way.

"Wait a moment, you're not talking about Goldenglow, are you? Even our little Vex couldn't get in."

Mercer didn't remove his eyes from Talia, while he responded to Bynjolf. To look away now was to admit weakness. "You claim this recruit possesses an aptitude for our line of work. If so, let her prove it. Goldenglow Estate is critically important to one of our largest clients. However, the owner has suddenly decided to take matters into his own hands and shut us out. He needs to be taught a lesson. Brynjolf, provide her with the details."

"Aye, but, Mercer, aren't you forgetting something?"

"Since Brynjolf assures me you'll be nothing but a benefit to us, then you're in. Welcome to the Thieves Guild. You better not disappoint and keep that attitude in check," Mercer said, walking away, not waiting for a response.

"Welcome to the family, lass. I'm expecting you to make us a lot of coin, so don't disappoint me," Brynjolf said, a smile on his face, still recovering from his embarrassment from Mercer.

Brynjolf gave Talia all the information she needed about Goldenglow and explained she needed to talk to Delvin and Vex for other side jobs.

Loria watched Brynjolf walk away, feeling his pain. The man was groomed by her father to eventually lead, and here he was being treated like shit. Brynjolf deserved more than that. He deserved respect, being the smarter of the two men, though Mercer was probably the more ruthless. She was going to have to be more careful around him and watch her back. It was hard to believe Mercer and her father were such good friends. Perhaps her father's death broke him after losing his best friend. Heading to the Ragged Flagon, she had to find Vex to find out more about Goldenglow Estate and to avoid Delvin, not ready to talk to him yet. The three men were the only ones she recognized from her childhood. It appeared everyone else, disappointedly, was gone from her father's time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Let us know what you think in the comments <3
> 
> Next: Loria has to prove herself worthy to the Guild.


	18. Proof is in the Pudding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loria is tasked with infiltrating Goldenglow Estate, believing Mercer was trying to do more than test her. Not wanting to end up like Vex, she uses her powers to smugly prove herself to the Thieves Guild and Mercer. When she returns, Mercer corners her when she is at her most vulnerable, testing her - it's a battle of wills until Brynjolf disrupts things. Vex is jealous of Loria's success and she meets Maven for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's quite a bit of death in this, just a warning.

The infiltration and burning of the beehives at Goldenglow Estate were to be done at night. Loria usually conducted most thefts during the day, but Vex informed her that Aringoth, the owner of the Estate, was surrounded by mercenaries, a lot of them. She needed the darkness and shadow to protect her. Slipping on Nocturnal's cowl to conceal her, she peeked around the Estate building to count heads. Loria didn't want to kill, but she knew if she didn't, they would quickly surround her and kill her instead—She liked living. 

If she wasn't as good as she was, this job would have killed her, and Mercer knew it, but he didn’t know about her. He didn't care one bit if she died and she was glad she had maintained her disguise. Her father's death had left the man bitter. She could hardly blame him, everyone deals with grief differently, but that didn't mean she trusted him either. It was all the more reason she needed to maintain her anonymity. 

At least fifteen mercenaries were guarding the outside of the house and beehives, and who knew how many were inside. They weren't stupid either, not carrying torches to make them easy targets. It was a wonder Vex made it out alive. Loria's nebula eyes swirled as she surveyed the area, being able to see in the dark and went through her options. She wished her powers extended to where she could change her appearance to that of a man. She had only been able to switch to other women. If she could have transformed into a mercenary, Loria could have been in and out with no unnecessary death. These men were just doing their job.

Pulling out the bow her father gave her, she nocked an arrow, aiming at the two mercenaries guarding the far tower. No one would be up there to check on them, and no one would be able to shoot arrows at her from a higher vantage point. Loria let loose one arrow after another, quickly killing the two mercenaries without alerting the others. Putting away her bow, she pulled out her daggers, crouched down low, her strong legs carrying her silently to the next mercenary. 

Two men were walking side by side as if keeping each other company, yet there was no conversation, alert, and swords ready. As Loria drew near, she turned to shadow, surrounding one of the men in what appeared to be black smoke, his whole body looked as if it was consumed by it. She stabbed him repeatedly, dropping him to the ground. The other mercenary just watched, jaw dropped, in shock, his brain not registering what was happening even with his companion dead on the ground. The mercenary paid dearly for it as Loria appeared before him, gutting him. Confusion appeared on his face but soon turned blank in death, dropping to the ground.

_Four down_ , she counted in her head as she silently dragged the bodies out of sight. Scanning the area, pleased no one had noticed her yet, she moved on to her next targets. Loria pulled out her bow once more now that she had a clear shot of the three mercenaries guarding the beehives, taking out the one farthest away and worked her way forward— _seven down_. One mercenary died on the pathway, and she hoped to keep up her subterfuge long enough not to be noticed. 

Another mercenary was nearly on top of her, as she berated herself for getting distracted by counting. She was so well hidden, he didn't notice her as she snuck up behind him and sliced his throat, easing him to the ground as he died. Pulling him into some bushes, she went to find more prey. Loria would have felt more remorse, but she knew if the roles were reversed, men like these wouldn't just kill her, they would make an example out of her.

Her assault continued until there were four remaining mercenaries and groaned inwardly when she heard one of them shout out in alarm. They must have found one of the bodies. All of them ran to inspect their comrade dead on the pathway, on guard, ready for anything. It was now or never.

The strange black smoke was moving too fast for it to be from a fire, and it was headed right for them, clearly with purpose, but the men held their swords out, ready to take on whatever was headed their way, but they couldn't control their fear. Loria surrounded mercenary after mercenary like a thick, dark fog, stabbing with daggers, killing all of them in seconds, hearing their swords clang to the ground in the silent night.

She solidified and walked over to the beehives, blasting three of them with a fire spell, then headed straight to the house without fear of getting caught outside. The burning of the hives was a warning rather than destroying the entire business. Aringoth would not make the mistake of crossing their client again, whoever it was. She looked forward to returning to Mercer alive and successful, smug-like. He would think twice before sending her out on a suicide mission.

Loria kneeled to pick at the lock on the door. Aringoth made sure to buy the best, but it wouldn't stop her from successfully opening it with her picks. Admittedly, it took nearly ten tries and six broken picks to finally open it. Loria knew the owner would have the best and made sure to bring plenty of picks. Once inside, she crouched low, closing the door quietly behind her and stopped to listen. The house wasn't as dark as it was outside; in fact, it was well lit, and she had to use the shadows as best she could.

She pulled out her bow, nocked an arrow, and slinked through room to room as she took out mercenary after mercenary in silence. Clearing the lower level of the house, she made her way to the basement. Vex informed her that was where Aringoth kept his safe that held valuables and sensitive documents. The woman explained it was nearly impossible to break into, so Loria would have to obtain the owner's key somehow to open it. But Loria wanted to try to open it herself, not wanting to risk killing Arigoth himself. 

She was surprised there were so few mercenaries in the large cellar to protect the safe, but perhaps Vex was right, it would be nearly impossible for her to break into it, so there wouldn't need to be too many guards. Loria had to try anyway. 

Out of arrows, she needed to use her dagger to kill the last mercenary in the cellar. Bursting into shadow, she cast her telekinesis spell, dragged the man over to her whose face was a mask of terror seeing his body out of control being pulled towards a black and ghostly shape. Loria solidified and sliced the man's throat, dropping the dead man to the ground. Loria was covered in blood after all the killing, and the coppery smell was starting to turn her stomach. The first thing she was going to do when she got back was to bathe in the Cistern baths.

The safe certainly looked complicated, but she tried anyway. She had been trained to break into all types of safes and chests. The question wasn't whether she could open it, it was how many lockpicks would it take, and did she have enough? After breaking through ten of her lockpick sets, she gave up not wanting to break any more as she only had three left.

Inwardly cursing, Loria made her way up to the second level of the house where the private rooms were located. With no arrows left, she stuck to her shadow form, silently taking out mercenaries protecting Aringoth. Confident they were all dead, she snuck into Aringoth's private quarters to find him still sleeping. If the Altmer knew the Thieves Guild was after him, especially after being infiltrated by Vex, Loria was confident the key would be on the man. 

Her shadowy black form moved with tendril-like fingers, careful not to touch his sensitive skin as the smoke explored the pockets of the sleeping man. Loria found it tied to a chain around his neck. There was no need to pull it up over his head as smoky fingers unclasped it, pulling it away from his sleeping form. 

Arigoth stirred awake, and Loria burst into a dark corner to hide. The Altmer blinked his eyes open, clearly sensing someone there, but he looked around to find an empty room. Rolling over, he pulled his blanket over his shoulders and fell back asleep. 

Loria's body wafted out of the room and back to the cellar to grab the safe contents. Finished with her job, she headed out of Goldenglow Estate to bathe all the blood off before she rubbed her success in Mercer's face.

A toe edged in the water, sending shivers through her body. While she liked the cold, she didn't want to bathe in it. Placing a hand in the water, she cast a flame spell to warm it up. Once the temperature was to her liking, she slinked in with a sigh as the dried blood came off her body leaving red trails in the water. Once she had thoroughly scrubbed her body and dug the blood out of fingernails, she leaned against the stone wall, soaking, eyes shut to close off the violence from her mind and tried to relax.

"Enjoying your bath?"

Loria opened one eye in annoyance to Mercer's voice. He was leaning a hip and shoulder against the stone wall, arms folded. She did everything she could from reacting to his intentional intrusion into her privacy.

"Yes, it is quite pleasant when the temperature is just right," she said, refusing to be intimidated. She knew he approached her in the bath because she was the most vulnerable, expecting to get a reaction out of her. Loria refused to give it to him.

"Hrumph," he scoffed, inwardly agitated that he wasn't able to get a rise out of her. "You were supposed to report directly to me."

"It's two in the morning, Mercer. You're supposed to be sleeping," Loria retorted, running a soapy rag along a lifted long leg.

Mercer looked up and down on her naked body, though not a bit of lust in his eyes. "You seem to be wound-free. I'm assuming the job went according to plan?"

"It did. It was nothing I couldn't handle. If you wanted me dead, you should have tried harder," she said, dunking her long red hair in the water. Loria knew she was pushing his buttons, but she didn't care. She wanted to tell him that she knew Mercer threw her to the wolves. She also didn't like being forced to kill.

"If I wanted you dead, you would be so," was all Mercer said.

"I highly doubt that. My bag is over there," she said, changing the subject, pointing at the bench. "You will find a scroll that has all the information you need on Goldenglow Estate."

Mercer opened her bag and pulled out the scroll, reading it back at his wall as he leaned, his face giving away nothing. 

"Mercer, I thought I saw Talia…" Brynjolf said as he entered the bath, stopping dead in his tracks to see Talia naked in the bath. "Oh…"

Loria quickly covered her breasts with hands, suddenly more self-conscious with Brynjolf there. "Dammit! Let's just invite the whole fucking Guild in here, why don't we!" she yelled, wincing that she just gave Mercer exactly what she wanted.

"That could be arranged," Mercer cocked a smile at her, amused watching her lose her composure, though he did wonder why she didn't react to him but she did to Brynjolf. That was something he would keep an eye on.

Despite her protests, neither man left. Mercer handed the scroll to Brynjolf, who read and analyzed it, trying to avoid staring at Talia's body. "Good job, lass, in getting the documents and returning uninjured," he said as he looked over the document.

As Brynjolf read the scroll, his eyes went from indifferent to wide-eyed. "Aringoth sold Goldenglow? What's that idiot thinking? He has no idea the extent of Maven's fury when she's been cut out of a deal, but I'm certain he'll find out. If only the parchment had the buyer's name instead of this odd symbol. Any idea what that might be?"

"I have no idea," she said. _Maven_ —why did that name sound so familiar? "So, do you two mind if I finish my bath? We can talk about this in the morning." Despite her demands, neither man left; in fact, they both ignored her as they talked about what was discovered.

"It would seem our adversary is attempting to take us apart indirectly by angering Maven Black-Briar. Very clever. I'm going to have to reach out to my contacts and see if anyone knows what this strange symbol is," Mercer said.

"I will reach out to my own contacts as well," Brynjolf offered.

Mercer shook his head in wonder, almost impressed with the person trying to undermine the Thieves Guild. "Whoever it is, they're well-funded, and they've been able to avoid identification for years. I'm impressed it reached this point. Just don't mistake my admiration for complacency; our nemesis is going to pay dearly."

"Maybe we should recruit them," Loria quipped.

Macer gave the woman a sharp look, already getting tired of her disrespect. "You jest, but don't underestimate our adversary. We will talk more after I reach out to my sources," he explained, giving her a once over with his eyes to add to her discomfort, not from any sexual interest and left.

Brynjolf didn't want to stare at her body, well he did, but he still had to talk to her about business, not that it couldn't wait until morning. "Maven wants to see you in the morning about this job. She told me to inform you of her request as soon as you returned from the Goldenglow job."

"Who's Maven? Why does she sound familiar?"

Brynjolf stared at Loria in near shock. "She's only our patron and keeps this Guild alive. You better learn who she is and quick before meeting her tomorrow."

"Great, am I going to come out of this alive?"

Brynjolf chuckled at her nervousness, not that he blamed her. Maven could be quite intimidating, and she didn't hesitate to use the Dark Brotherhood against her enemies. "If it was like that she wouldn't be asking for you, she'd be calling on the Dark Brotherhood. It's just business."

"Wonderful, now that business is concluding, can I get out of the damned bath now? This water is getting cold, and I'm starting to prune."

"Ah, aye, sorry. We will talk more later."

"I will be counting the minutes," she said, making sure to add a layer of thick sarcasm.

_Fucking Mercer_. He came into the bathing area intentionally to make her uncomfortable, and it worked. _What's wrong with that man, anyway?_ Then, of course, Brynjolf had to make an appearance. _Don't these men ever sleep?_ At least Bryn had the decency to be embarrassed by the whole situation, Gods know she was. She didn't give a fuck about Mercer, used to using her body and sex to achieve her own ends, but Brynjolf was different. She grew up with him, and he only knew her as a child, despite her not looking like her old self.

So much for relaxation. Now Loria was tightly wound thanks to Mercer's antics. Throwing a shift on, she refused to sleep in clothes or armor as some of the other thieves did, she headed to her bed they assigned her. With an arm tucked behind her head, she worried if sleep would find her after the day she had, but it did.

The ash-blonde woman sat at the table, arms crossed as always, in agitation— _jealousy_ —looking at Talia. Vex couldn't, for the life of her, figure out how the woman escaped Goldenglow Estate without a mark to show for it. Vex barely got out of there alive the last time, just now nearly recovered. 

"I don't fucking get it. How?"

Loria looked at the beautiful blonde as she sat down to eat her breakfast. "How what?"

"Stop playing stupid, Talia. How did you escape last night unharmed? I'm the best infiltrator this Guild has, and I barely escaped with my life."

"Jealousy doesn't become you, Vex."

"Fuck you. Answer the question."

Loria sat back in her chair, waiting to finish chewing her bread, then shrugged at the woman. "I guess you're no longer the best infiltrator." She knew she was taunting the woman, but Vex wouldn't have tolerated a kiss-ass. She read the blonde thief well.

Vex narrowed her eyes at the red-head but quirked a smile. "You're still not answering my question," she said, refusing to take the bait.

"I don't know Vex, honestly. I guess I just got lucky. You went in there to steal. I went in there to clear out all the mercenaries then steal. Look, I had the advantage of knowing what to expect; you went in there, not realizing how many there were. To be fair, you were at a disadvantage, and the fact you made it out alive says something to your skill." Loria didn't want to explain how she really did it by detracting from herself and placing the skill back onto Vex. 

Satisfied with the answer, Vex gave Loria a full smile. "Care to expand on your infiltration abilities?"

Shoveling some eggs into her mouth, Loria nodded. "What do you have?" she asked with her mouth full.

"It's a heist job. Every now and again, we like to remind the shopkeepers that we're in charge. If that means breaking into their strongboxes and stealing something valuable from them, then so be it," she explained. "There is a shop in Whiterun, Belethor's General Goods. The owner hasn't been paying his dues, so I want you to break in, empty out his strongbox and bring it all back here."

Delvin soon sat down at their table with a plate of food and introduced himself to Loria. "Delvin Mallory, at yer service. Talia, right? Lemme guess. Brynjolf plucked you off the street and dropped you into the thick of things without tellin' you which way is up. Am I right?"

Loria smiled at the man, remembering him fondly. She remembered being thrown in the air, and he would catch her whenever she visited the Cistern. She remembered squealing in delight, loving to be thrown. The memory sent a pang in her chest, but she quickly swallowed it. Feigning inexperience, she agreed. "I suppose I could use some advice," she said, trying not to smile at Vex's snort.

"See, that kind of attitude comes from someone who wants to get rich and stay alive long enough to enjoy it. We're goin' to get along nicely. So, if you've got the nerve, I've got plenty of extra jobs to help get the Guild back on its feet," he said, cramming mouthfuls of food into his mouth.

"You got any jobs in Whiterun? Heading over there soon anyway."

"Very well. Sometimes we like to remind a city that we mean business, so we hit it hard. Just steal whatever we can until we've made an impression. There's a rich farm in Whiterun called Chillfurrow Farm. Just clean it out of items worth five 'undred Septim."

"You got it," Loria said, finishing her breakfast, overhearing Delvin's useless overtures towards Vex, trying not to laugh or roll her eyes. She couldn't make up her mind which. 

"So, what do you think, my dear? Could a beautiful woman like you ever see yourself with an old codger like me?" Delvin asked earnestly.

"Absolutely," Vex replied, nearly causing Loria to choke on her food. She adored Delvin as a child, but he was not exactly a looker, but who knew, everyone had their tastes.

"Oh, really? Well then... how can I make that happen?" Delvin asked, surprised by Vex's response since she had turned him down twice before.

"When you're in your grave, and I'm standing over it. Now get out of my way!" She yelled, abruptly standing up and leaving Delvin and Loria to eat together.

"Well, I had to try," he said lamely, unable to hide his flushed face.

Loria gave him a warm and sympathetic smile, "Of course. One never gets anywhere unless they do."

"Aye, you have the right of things," he laughed, quickly feeling better.

"Well, gotta go. See you later, Delvin," she said, leaving before things got more awkward.

"See ya, Talia."

Maven watched the red-head walk towards her, assuming she was the new recruit for the Guild. Her dark eyes reminded her of someone, but she couldn't place them. The fact that this new woman was so successful at Goldenglow impressed her, and it took a lot to impress her.

"You must be Talia, the new recruit," Maven said, gesturing to the chair next to her for the woman to sit.

Loria sat down, and while anxious to be meeting one of the most powerful women in Skyrim, she showed only ease in front of the older woman. She could tell Maven used to be a beautiful woman, but age changes a person. She must have been at least sixty, but her hair was still quite dark with grays threaded in.

"And you must be Maven. Your name carries a lot of weight around here."

Maven narrowed her eyes, unsure if this woman was playing with her or not. "Of course. Nothing gets done without my approval in this city. I have the Jarl's ear and the guards in my pocket. Anyone makes trouble for me, and I pay a visit to the Thieves Guild. Make me angry, and I contact the Dark Brotherhood. You'd do well to remember that next time you make such a stupid observation."

Now that Loria knew who she was dealing with, she chose all her questions and answers carefully. "No offense intended. I have heard your name, but I didn't know all the details. How did you become allied with the Thieves Guild?" she asked, genuinely wanting to know.

“The Black-Briar family has always been allied with the Guild throughout Tamriel. Our connections with the Empire and within Skyrim make for a perfect fit. I dare say the Guild owes its survival as much to my family as it does to its own people.

It wasn't until Gallus Desidenius came to Riften that he was able to wrangle the Guild here into some semblance of order. Something to which I honestly was unable to do. I would have eventually, but he made it so much easier, sparing me the tediousness of it all."

Loria felt a pang hearing her father's name, surprised to see some sadness in Maven's eyes as the woman reflected back to her father. _Interesting_. She didn't know Maven's family had their hands in the Guild in Cyrodiil, but most likely not any longer otherwise Talia would have told her. "I have heard of this Gallus. His name still carries weight around Cyrodiil, where I'm from."

Maven wanted to ask the girl more questions, but she had business to attend to, more pressing matters to deal with. "Well, you don't look so impressive. I'm surprised you were able to get the job done at Goldenglow."

"Let's skip the pleasantries, Maven, and get down to business. I think we have chit-chatted long enough," Loria said.

The only visual response Maven gave Loria was a cocked eyebrow. "You're a firebrand, aren't you? It's about time Brynjolf sent me someone with business sense. I was beginning to think he was running some sort of beggar's Guild over there."

"You don't have any faith in the Guild?" Now Loria was getting somewhere. Perhaps Maven had an idea of what was going on.

Maven barked out a laugh at the absurdity of it all. "Faith? I don't have faith in anyone. All I care about is cause and effect. Did the job get done, and was it done correctly. There's no gray area. The fact is, the Guild just isn’t what it was when Gallus was running things. But as long as the Guild does its job and makes me money, I don't care."

"I'm assuming you asked me here for a job since you were so pleased with my handiwork at Goldenglow."

This Talia was more observant that Maven first gave her credit. "Yes, I have a competitor called Honningbrew Meadery that I want to put out of business. I also want to know how they managed to get the place up and running so quickly. Head to the Bannered Mare in Whiterun and look for an Imperial named Mallus Maccius. He'll fill you in on all the details."

At least the job was in Whiterun. Loria could kill three birds with one stone. "Consider it done."

"One more time in case I wasn't clear. You butcher this job, and you'll be sorry," Maven said to Loria's back as she left.

Loria gave Maven no response and headed back to the Cistern to pack up her gear for the journey to Whiterun.

"Talia!" yelled Mercer, waving her over as soon as she walked into the Cistern.

"What."

"Aringoth was a fool to think he could get away with this. Goldenglow Estate provided a huge payout for us before Aringoth locked us out. Maven looked the other way as long as the honey kept flowing, and we kept him in line."

"Well, he's been dealt with. Maven is sending me to Honningbrew Meadery. What can you tell me about it?"

"Let's not kid ourselves. Black-Briar Mead is swill. The only thing keeping it successful is Maven. Word on the street was that Honningbrew tasted better, cost less, and Sabjorn didn't shove it down everyone's throat. If Sabjorn ever managed to push Maven off her pedestal, we'd all be in trouble."

The picture was becoming more evident to Loria. Someone is trying to undermine the Thieves Guild through Maven.

"The parchment you recovered mentions a 'Gajul-Lei.' According to my sources, that's an old alias used by one of our contacts. His real name is Gulum-Ei. Slimy bastard. Gulum-Ei is our inside man at the East Empire Company in Solitude. I'm betting he acted as a go-between for the sale of Goldenglow Estate and that he can finger our buyer. After you are done shaking down Honningbrew Meadery, get out there, shake him down and see what you come up with. I want you to take Brynjolf with you. I want no mistakes on this, is that clear?"

"Crystal," she replied, heading off to find Brynjolf. She wasn't used to working with a partner and didn't know if she liked the whole idea of bringing him along, but it would give her a private opportunity to ask questions and see how he had been all this time she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and please let us know what you think in the comments! <3
> 
> Next: Traveling with an old friend.


	19. Traveling Companions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talia (Loria) sets out with Brynjolf to deal with Gulum-Ei in Solitude, but there are several things she has to do first. Two jobs needed to be done for Vex and Delvin, then the Honningbrew Meadery job for Maeven. It was going to be a long trip, but so far it had proved to be surprisingly pleasant for both of them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading and please let us know what you think in the comments <3

The ride through the Rift was strangely awkward for Loria. It was relatively silent as she struggled with what to say to Brynjolf as they slowly rode their horses through the thick birch forest. It was a peculiar feeling to travel with someone she grew up with, who was so different from when she left, and the fact that she couldn't yet reveal herself to him. Loria still had to get to the bottom of all the problems the Guild was having and help them restore it to its former glory, so her Talia identity would remain for a while. Though she did wonder if she really needed to hide her identity from Brynolf. She could trust him, right? Loria had to admit there was an underlying fear to show herself to him, which had nothing to do with the Guild.

Loria pulled her cloak in tight around her body for warmth, billowy plumes escaped her mouth in the damp, chilly air. She wanted to pry into Brynjolf's life to see how he had been, but she had to be careful with her questions lest he figure out who she was or became suspicious with her line of questioning.

"So tell me about yourself, Brynjolf?" Loria finally asked, keeping her question generic. While she worked alone and was quiet most times she traveled, she enjoyed conversations whenever she was with someone.

"What do you want to know?" Brynjolf replied, looking ahead at the road.

Loria shrugged, "I don't know, whatever you want to tell me. We have a long journey ahead of us, and while I'm not used to partners, I would like to know who I am traveling with. Let's start with...where did you grow up?" She asked the question, but she already knew the answer.

"I grew up in Riften."

She rolled her eyes at the lack of details in his answer, realizing it would take a bit of prodding to get answers out of him. "Right, care to be any more vague? I mean, did you have parents, friends...you know, a life before the Guild?"

Brynjolf looked at her, finally debating if he wanted to divulge any information about himself. Her eyes were so dark they unintentionally drew him in, reflecting like tiny dark looking glasses. He wasn't used to talking to people on a personal level except with Delvin, who was an old friend. It wasn't that he was secretive, but typically people didn't care about his own life, let alone his past. "My father left when I was too young to remember. My mother worked as a wench to make ends meet, though I was very young, nine Winters, I remember loving her. I can't remember what she looked like anymore, except we shared the same hair color. She was murdered, and I was orphaned." Byrnjolf didn't know why he said so much. It strangely came pouring out. He hadn't talked about his mother in, well, he couldn't rightly remember the last time.

"I'm sorry to hear that, Brynjolf, really. That must have been terrible for you and so young. I understand how it must have hurt. I, too, lost a parent at a young age, my father. He was murdered like your mother. I don't know my mother, despite my failed attempts to find her. It seems we have that in common," she smiled at him in understanding, already knowing his story. Loria figured it wouldn't hurt to tell her story since it wasn't uncommon for children to lose their parents in this violent world.

Brynjolf saw the pain and truth in her eyes, relief to find someone who understood what it was like, that it was still painful now and then despite it happening so long ago. He often wondered what his life would have been like had his mother lived. It would have been in poverty, but it would have been filled with love. He was happy for a while when Gallus was alive, but he struggled with it since his death. 

"I was cared for by the man who started the Thieves Guild here in Riften. He was a good man and took care of me, teaching me everything I know. Life was good for a while, then he was murdered too. He was murdered by his lover. I have searched for years for her, but she's a good thief. If she doesn't want to be found, she won't be. I have dreamed of the day I would take a blade to her throat." Brynjolf was still bitter about Karliah, and he tried to shut out Gallus' words about murder and revenge. If anyone deserved to die, it was her.

"You mean Gallus?" Loria asked. "I have heard of him, and he sounds like he was a good man."

Brynjolf nodded, "He was the best."

"I'm so sorry. I know I said that already, but I mean it. I always wondered what my life would be like if my father lived still," she said, not realizing she was expressing Brynjolf's very sentiments. "So it must have been hard to deal with after. How did you handle it all, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It was hard," he said, realizing he was so open, too open, with a woman he barely knew.

"Come on, Brynjolf, I know it was hard, of course, it would be. If you don't want to share, that's OK. I will tell you mine instead if you wish."

"Sorry, I'm not used to talking about myself other than the mundane. Usually, people don't care enough. After Gallus died and Karliah ran, I had plans to take care of his daughter, but she ran away. That part made it even worse. She was only ten Winters, and she ran off alone. I don't know if she's alive, dead. I feel like I let her down, even to this day."

"He had a daughter so young? That's terrible. I'm sure she had a reason for fleeing. That couldn't have possibly been your fault," Loria offered without giving too much away.

"Aye, I suppose. Perhaps Gallus told her too. I don't know. I wonder about how she's doing now and then, hoping she's still alive. Perhaps she's married, has kids. Or she has her own business, and she's happy. How about you, lass. How did you fare after your father's death?"

All those memories of when she ran when she was younger hit her with his words. She remembered feeling horrible for leaving Brynjolf alone and wanting to be with him, but she promised her father to run and run she did. Instinctively, she grabbed the ring around her neck, holding it for comfort. It was the gift she got for Brynjolf so long ago, hoping to see him one day and give him the enchanted ring. Now here he was, and she couldn't risk giving it to him just yet.

Loria had a lie prepared already should anyone ask how she ended up a thief. "I grew up in Cyrodiil. I was thirteen when my father died, and, like you, I didn't know my other parent, so I was taken to an orphanage. There I lived for a while, but it was so restricting and depressing. There were so many unwanted children. I ended up leaving and tried to do odd jobs here or there for coin, but it was never enough; eventually, I took to stealing to feed myself.

I stole from a Thief one day, and apparently, he was impressed I could steal from him and brought me to the Guild there. I trained and lived as a thief in Cyrodiil for only a year before I left, wanting to make my own way. It was too restricting as well. Then recently, rumors were floating about that the Guild in Riften was struggling. I don't know what possessed me, but I wanted to come up here and see if I could help. If the Guild in Cyrodiil went through the same thing, I would have returned there. Besides, it was time for a change. I wanted to get out of Cyrodiil since I lived there all my life."

"Well, if Goldenglow was any indication of your abilities, I must say we are grateful to have you, lass."

Loria turned and gave him a beatific smile. It was one of those smiles, a contagious one, full of white teeth, that left him smiling as well. 

"Oh, look at that...you can smile. I was beginning to wonder if you didn't lest your face crack into a million pieces," the woman quipped. "A real brooder, you are."

"Ha ha ha, very funny. I smile," Brynolf insisted, but he didn't take offense. 

"Yes, I can see and a nice one at that. You should do it more often," Talia said, trotting off.

"Yours as well, lass," he whispered so she couldn't hear. 

The two thieves made it to Ivarstead that evening and rented a couple of rooms, much to Loria's relief. She hated sleeping outside with all the wild animals. She was a city girl, and while she could hunt and take care of herself, she preferred not to. Loria enjoyed being surrounded by civilization and people.

After dinner, Loria had her feet propped up on the table, leaning back in her chair. The two probably had too many meads, and they were learning quite a bit about themselves. Loria discovered that the poor man had some serious woman issues, but it was understandable after being lied to horribly by his first love and then coming home to Karliah's betrayal. His first experiences with women were terrible. Her own experiences were similar, having commitment issues herself. It was strange how much in common they had. If he weren't nearly a brother to her when she was growing up, he could have been someone she would be interested in sexually.

"Well, I bet you have women just tripping over themselves with that rugged charm of yours. ' _Oh, Brynjolf, you are such a ladies man! How did you ever win my heart_ ,'" Loria laughed, mimicking a woman in love, raising her voice several octaves, eyes fluttering.

"Aren't you a barrel of laughs," he chuckled. He didn't know how traveling with the new recruit would be, not wanting to go, but forced to by Mercer. So far, it had been quite pleasant. Talia had a good personality, she was funny, and they were very similar, though she had a better sense of humor.

"I try my best," she said, taking another swig from her bottle.

"What about you, lass?"

"What about me?" 

"Did you leave the love of your life behind in Cyrodiil, single?" Brynjolf asked bluntly, wanting to know her availability, not caring if she knew. He was never one to be shy around women.

He must have touched a nerve, because a frown appeared on her lovely face, eyes saddened. "I wouldn't call him the love of my life, but if anyone could be that, it was him. I don't do relationships, but I came the closest to Arik. He's also one of the reasons I'm here. I ran, to be honest. I was scared, especially after he told me he…well, it doesn't matter. It's over, and I'm here now."

"Ah, he told you he loved you, did he?"

Loria just took another sip of her drink to push away the sudden wetness in her eyes. "Yep, he did," was all she said, standing up a bit wobbly from all the mead. 

"Steady, lass."

"Well, I'm off to bed. Night, Bryn."

"Night, lass."

Brynolf watched her walk, swaying back and forth, to her room, enjoying the view of her from behind. 

Loria closed the door to her room and transformed back into herself. It was getting hard to maintain as she was drinking. She had to be more careful, needing to make sure she wore her enchanted ring to maintain her disguise. On top of that, Brynjolf was testing the waters with her, seeing if she was single. It felt so strange to have him seeing her sexually after having grown up with him. He wasn't her brother, but it felt that way sometimes. She couldn't blame him, really. Talia was a beautiful woman, still is.

It was evening the next day, and they could see Whiterun in the distance. It was larger than Riften, and Loria had a longing to see the Imperial City again, missing city life. Riften was a small town in comparison, and though Whiterun was larger than Riften, it was comparably smaller than the Imperial City.

"The Inn in Whiterun is the Bannered Mare," Brynjolf informed her. "Let's get a couple of rooms, then you can do those jobs for Delvin and Vex in the morning after we meet Mallus and do this job for Maven."

"Sounds like a plan. How long will it take to get to Solitude?"

"From here, about a three days ride. We will have to camp those nights as there is no town nearby unless we first head north, but that could take longer."

"Great, nothing like freezing in the great outdoors," she grumbled."

"You realize most of Skyrim and Cyrodiil are outdoors, right, lass?"

"Yes, a lot of outdoors with wonderfully large cities to live in with warm beds. I'm not into being dinner for sabre cats, wolves, and bears. Let's not forget there are giant spiders in the world, trolls, and other lovely creatures that try to kill us in the night."

"You forgot dragons. We now have dragons."

"Fantastic. So much to look forward to," Loria complained.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you, lass," Brynjolf chuckled.

Loria cocked an eyebrow at him and snorted. "Oh, I bet you will. I'm sure your 'dagger' is... well-honed...for protection purposes, of course," she laughed, tossing out a double entendre.

"I don't know how much it can protect, but it has come in handy from time to time," Byrnjolf said, playing her game.

"I bet it has," she laughed.

The two thieves stabled their horses and walked the rest of the way into the city of Whiterun.

"I'm going to hit the store tonight after we eat, Byrn. I usually hit homes in the day, but stores have to be done at night when no one is there, especially when the evening is early enough and everyone is at the tavern drinking. The farm I will hit in the morning then meet you back at the Inn."

"Sounds like a good plan, lass."

Brynjolf decided to stick around the tavern while Loria did her heist job for Vex, making sure everything went well, but he was sure she would handle it just fine. He was still not happy that Mercer sent a new recruit to Goldenglow Estate, barely believing she was successful, then relieved she was unharmed. He didn't know how Talia could handle such a large and challenging job, a job that even Vex couldn't do, then to come away unscathed. Maybe their luck was changing finally with the arrival of the red-headed woman. Brynjolf could only hope.

Since seeing her naked in the bath the other night was hard to erase from his mind. He had no idea she was in there, looking for Mercer, only to find the Guild Leader trying to intimidate the very woman who finally pulled off the Goldenglow job. Brynjolf knew Mercer liked men and couldn't figure out why else he would be in bath leering at Talia unless it was for intimidation purposes. Byrnjolf tried to be respectful of her privacy and nudity, but he couldn't help but peek. 

Talia was resourceful, talented, beautiful, funny, and strangely had so much in common with him. It wasn't a surprise that his interest in her was already going beyond business. It was even better that she didn't do relationships either, which would keep things uncomplicated should they do anything sexually. He was confident that they would eventually get there.

The job didn't even take Talia thirty minutes before she waltzed in, a smug smile on her face. Brynjolf knew right then she was successful, surprised she was so quick about it. "All done then, lass?"

"For Vex's job, yes," she said, grabbing the bottle of mead from his hands, chugging the entire contents. 

"You know, I could have bought you one," he huffed in irritation.

"True, but yours is so much better, plus I didn't want to wait since I'm off to bed now. I have to be up early for the farm hit," the woman explained, waving goodnight.

Brynjolf stood to go to his own room now that she had safely returned, chuckling. She was going to be a handful.

It was close to lunchtime the next day when Loria returned to the Inn, carrying a heavy load on her back. The farm was a smooth hit as most of the workers were out working in the field. One of the owners was gone by morning to the Cloud District to rub elbows with the Jarl of Whiterun. The jobs were too easy, making a note to ask Delvin and Vex to assign her more complicated ones. Any basic recruit could handle what she did in Whiterun. She just hoped Maven's job would prove to be more challenging.

"There you are, lass. I was expecting you sooner after your last job went so flawlessly," Brynjolf said, coming out of his room when he heard her return.

"Do you have any idea how much Delvin needed me to steal? Five hundred Septims worth of junk and I mean junk. I nearly cleaned out the damned place," she huffed at him. "And, you're going to help me carry this all back to Delvin. It weighs a ton."

"We need to find some fences to sell this stuff," Brynjolf said, going through her bag, pulling out a candle holder. "We are currently short of them except in Riften."

"So we steal this stuff, and it just sits there in the Cistern collecting dust?"

Brynjolf shrugged. "Tonilia is our fence, and she does what she can, but yes, we need more so we don't have to lug this around everywhere."

"What happened to all the Guild's fences?"

"Just another thing in a long list of things going wrong, lass," he said, shrugging.

"Don't worry, Bryn. We will get this Guild up and running, the coin flowing once more," she said, patting his back.

"Lass, why do you care so much about a Guild that you have never been a part of?" Brynjolf asked, finding it strange that a mere thief would care so much. Most of their recruits were self-serving and didn't go out of their way to get the Guild going again.

"Why wouldn't I? If it's going to be my new home, I want it to prosper. If the Guild prospers, I prosper. It's just business, Bryn," she explained, lying effortlessly.

"Aye, fair enough. Enough talk, let's go meet Mallus."

Brynjolf and Talia walked up to the man drinking, a scowl on his face. He looked like he had seen better days, dark circles under his eyes, hair hanging limply. 

"Can't a man drink in peace around here?" Mallus complained.

"Maven is a bit more important than your drink," Loria said. "I'm Talia, and this is Brynjolf. Maven sent us to do something about Honningbrew Meadery and that we should talk to you."

"I'm going to keep this short 'cause we've got a lot to do. Honningbrew's owner, Sabjorn, is about to hold a tasting for Whiterun's Captain of the Guard, and we're going to poison the mead."

"No, sounds too risky," Loria said, shaking her head.

Brynolf kept silent to see how Talia worked with a man like Mallus. He would have just done what was asked of him, but she outright refused to poison the Guard. Interesting.

"Look, it's not going to kill the man, so your poor aching soul can sleep at night," Mallus scoffed.

"Fine, so where's the poison?" she asked.

"No, no. That's the beauty of the whole plan. We're going to get Sabjorn to give it to us. The meadery has quite a pest problem, and the whole city knows about it. Pest poison and mead don't mix well, you know what I mean?"

Loria wanted to slap the smug look off the man's face. Mallus just oozed creepiness. "Fine, how do I fit into all this?"

"You're going to happen by and lend poor old Sabjorn a helping hand. He's going to give you the poison to use on the pests, but you're also going to dump it into the brewing vat. Maven and I spent weeks planning this. All we need is someone like you to get in there and get it done. Now get going before Sabjorn grows a brain and hires someone else to do the dirty work."

"So this is what the Guild has turned into? Doing dirty work?" she asked when they left the Bannered Mare.

"Don't be naive, lass. You're smarter than that. The Guild has always done dirty work for Maven. It was one of the reasons it was so successful under Gallus. He brought her into the fold for investment purposes, but the Guild, in return, had to deal with squashing her enemies and competitors."

Loria didn't know that was how her father started the Guild. She didn't understand why she thought he would have done things differently, more honorably, she supposed. Brynjolf was right; she was naive. She really should have known better, but understandably, she worshiped her father as a child and put him on this gilded pedestal, despite knowing that he was a thief.

"Sorry, you're right. I just don't normally do these types of jobs, is all."

Inside the tavern of Honningbrew Meadery was a disaster with Skeever corpses everywhere. Standing there, an older, balding man sweating, hands fisted, angry. 

"What are you gawking at? Can't you see I have problems here? I'm supposed to be holding a tasting of the new Honningbrew Reserve for the Captain of the Guard. If he sees the meadery in this state, I'll be ruined."

"I can see that. We came in because we heard your mead was to die for, but I can see now why your place is empty. My partner and I are mercenaries. We can help you with this for a price if you wish," Loria said.

"Fine, I just hope you aren't expecting to get paid until the job is done," he complained.

Loria inwardly rolled her eyes. Sabjorn sure did seem entirely unappreciative of people trying to help with his little problem, not feeling so bad anymore for what she was about to do.

"You pay us when the job is done," Brynjolf offered.

"My only demand is that these vermin are permanently eliminated before my reputation is completely destroyed. I bought some poison. I was going to have my lazy, good-for-nothing assistant Mallus handle it, but he seems to have vanished. If you plant this in the vermin's nest, it should stop them from ever coming back," Sabjorn explained, handing Loria a bottle of poison.

Loria and Brynjolf reached the storage room where some mead barrels were held, avoiding the traps laid out as two Skeevers tried to attack them. Loria made quick work of the varmints with her daggers as they moved on to a cave. 

"Alright, let's get this over with...fucking filthy Skeevers. There better be no spiders in there," Talia complained. "I hate fucking spiders."

"I'm sure they don't like you either," Brynjolf chucked.

"Fine by me, as long as they stay away."

The deeper they went in, the more spiderwebs filled the cave passageways. Loria could feel it in the pit of her stomach that they were, indeed, going to have to deal with giant frost spiders. She wished she could change into her shadow to sneak by the creatures, but not in front of Brynjolf. Loria was going to have to suck it up.

"Uhm, why don't you lead, Byrn?"

"Lass, are you really that nervous about spiders?"

"No, I'm not nervous at all. I'm fucking terrified! Vile creatures with their eight hairy legs, pincers, who knows how many eyeballs they have, and they shoot poison that freezes their prey out of their ass. What's not to love?"

"Fine, I will lead and protect you with my 'dagger,'" he quipped.

"Oh, you would go there...my dagger comment is going to haunt me forever, isn't it?"

"You bet your pretty ass, it will."

Loria scoffed, pretending to be irritated, but she held back a laugh as Brynjolf led the way.

Sticking close behind Brynjolf, her personal human shield against spiders, sure enough, she could hear their scratching around. Loria inwardly shivered as they pressed forward. She was not about to fight the things with her daggers and pulled out her bow, not Nocturnal's bow, just in case Brynjolf recognized it.

"Lass, you're riding up my backside. While I wouldn't normally complain about such things, I would appreciate some space if we have to fight."

"Oops, sorry."

 _You can ride up my backside later_ , he thought, nearly saying it out loud.

Loria was already in a foul mood once they reached the nest of the Skeevers. If it wasn't bad enough, she was covered in spider webs and disgusting spider goo from killing the beasts, but they were both forced to contend with nearly a dozen Skeevers and some deranged mage hiding out in the caves. 

The lightning that coursed through her body from the mage nearly caused her to lose her disguise, doing everything she could to hold it together, which meant Brynjolf had to do most of the work as she fell to the ground, keeping it all in. She couldn't even heal herself lest she reveal who she really was. Loria wasn't ready for that yet, regretting not wearing her ring.

Brynjolf came rushing over after killing the mage and rest of the Skeevers, pouring some of the poison on the nest. "Are you OK, lass? Looks like you took quite the hit?" he asked, trying not to laugh at her hair standing on end from the electrocution.

"Laugh it up, big guy," she said weakly, clearly irritable, struggling to maintain herself. "Have any health potions in that bag of yours? I seem to have forgotten mine." Rarely did Loria bring health potions as she could quickly heal herself, but this wasn't one of those moments. 

"I'm sorry, it's just your hair…" he explained, attempting to look contrite, but it wasn't working very well as he was struggling not to laugh, handing her a potion.

"What about my hair?" she asked, feeling better from the potion, tentatively touching her hair, but it was returning to normal thanks to the healing elixir.

Brynjolf helped Loria to stand, taking the bottle of poison from his hand. "That's it. I'm fucking done with this place. Fuck Sabjorn. Fuck Mallus. And fuck Maven!" Loria wanted challenging, and she now regretted her wishes.

The smile on her face was priceless as she watched Sabjorn being led off by the Guard Captain. When they were gone, she unleashed her fury at the unsuspecting Mallus.

"You! Do you have any idea what we have been through? We had spiders...giant fucking frost spiders! Oh, but let's not forget the deranged mage who tried to kill us!"

The Imperial had the nerve to look smug after everything she had gone through. "I thought it would be better to leave some of the details out of our previous discussion. Didn't want to risk you walking away from the job. Besides, you've done Maven a favor by getting rid of him and saved me from wasting coin hiring someone else to do it later."

"Fuck you!" was all she said, and out of nowhere, her fist slammed into Mallus' face. "That mage nearly killed me!" She stormed upstairs to Sabjorn's room to search for evidence of a bill of sale or linking Honningbrew with Goldenglow. Documents in hand, she and Brynjolf headed out of the meadery into an evening quickly approaching.

"If I didn't know better, I thought you were going to kill that man, lass."

"Oh, I wanted to, but I'm not a murderer."

Brynjolf thought better about teasing her, despite the urge. Instead, he decided to try to calm her down. "Are you OK now? Feel better?"

"I need a drink," Loria said, storming off towards Whiterun and the Bannered Mare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Maintaining anonymity is difficult for long periods.
> 
> We have the second story in the series involving Mephala, the Dark Brotherhood, and dear Nazir. It's a bit darker, but happy moments too, We hope you like it. [A Tangled Web](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25759513%22)


	20. Identity Struggles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talia aka Loria struggles to maintain her identity while traveling, and Brynolf nearly catches her as Loria. Unable to rest her spell leaves her drained and exhausted. Gulum-Ei gets an earful and a shock.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! We would love to know your thoughts down in the comments <3

“Sorry, I don’t normally curse that much, but I was furious with Mallus and his trickery. We would have been better prepared for what to expect if he had been forthcoming,” Loria explained after a much-needed bath, feet resting on another chair while she and Brynjolf were drinking at the Bannered Mare.

“You don’t need to apologize to me. I was pissed too.”

“You were quite calm for someone pissed.”

Brynjolf shrugged, “I just keep it all inside, lass.”

Loria pulled the documents out of her bag, scooted over to Brynjolf so they could both look them over. “Let’s see what kind of trouble Sabjorn was causing Maven.”

Loria was so close to Brynjolf he could feel the heat coming off her body, smell the scent of lavender on her skin, as she read over the letter. He tried to focus, but it wasn’t easy with her sitting so close. “This silent partner clearly failed at keeping Maven Black-Briar at bay. This anonymous person knows what they are doing, but they underestimated Maven. And there’s that strange symbol again, so we know we are dealing with the same person.”

“What is that symbol,” Brynjolf asked.

Loria shrugged, “Is that dagger or something? I don’t know.”

"This is definitely beyond coincidence. First Aringoth and now Sabjorn. Someone's trying to take us down by driving a wedge between Maven and the Guild."

“Clever… Is there anything we can do?”

“I’m not sure yet. Let’s meet Gulum-Ei and see where that thread leads us.”

She must have had one too many ales because Loria didn’t realize how close she was to Brynjolf, looking at him in his bright green eyes. She never noticed how pretty they were—not paying attention to them as a child—so in contrast to the scars and scruff of his face. _Is he leaning in to kiss me?_ Loria coughed and scooted her chair back, sitting across from him once more. The whole situation felt weird, awkward. If he were any other attractive man, she would have had him in her bed already, but this was Brynjolf, someone she grew up with.

“Well, we better get to bed as we have an early morning and I’ve had too many drinks.”

Brynjolf wasn’t used to being rebuked by a woman. It had always been easy for him, thinking Loria would be no different as he leaned in to kiss her, but she just scooted away from him preventing it from happening. He could tell she knew what he was doing, and she resisted him. Hiding his disappointment, he bid Loria a goodnight and headed to his own room.

There was a light knock on Loria’s door the next morning, but she rolled over in her bed, pulling the covers over her head to block out the sound, not ready to get up. They had to get an early start, but she had a headache from the drinks last night with not enough sleep. She could heal herself, but she was too lazy to move. Then the pounding became incessant.

“Go away!” she yelled.

“Lass, it’s time to get up.”

“Go away!” she repeated.

There was a scraping noise on the door as if someone was lockpicking it. Loria bolted upright and cast her spell and changed her appearance back to Talia before Brynjolf stormed in. She had removed her enchanted ring to give her body a rest from the changes and barely had enough time when he walked into her room.

“Have you ever fucking heard of privacy, Brynjolf? I don’t give a flip if you are the Second in charge or not. Between you and Mercer, I may as well walk around naked throughout the Cistern!”

“If you think that visual is punishment, you’re sorely mistaken,” he quipped.

“Out!"

“In case you have forgotten, we still have a job to do and a long way to get to Solitude,” Brynjolf informed her as he ducked at the flying pillow and left.

“Perverts, the lot of them,” she groaned. _That was too close. No more sleeping in._

“Well, you look refreshed and lively for someone who could barely crawl out of bed this morning, lass,” Brynjolf observed when Loria met him at the stables.

“It’s a gift,” she said. Though she was joking, she was still not happy Brynjolf broke into her room.

Loria stood before the Nord looking up at him, jabbing a finger in his chest. “If you ever break into my room again, I will break your fingers, then your nose. Got it?”

“Lass, you sleep out in the open in front of all the male thieves in the Cistern.”

“You’re not hearing me, Brynjolf. I don’t care. If I have a door and it is locked, that means you do not come in. End of story.”

Brynjolf raised his hands in defense. “OK, fair enough. I will respect your privacy.”

“Good!” she yelled, grabbing Nebula from the stables. Though Brynjolf agreed to Loria’s demands, he sure didn’t look like he cared or felt bad about it. The anger wasn’t so much directed at her loss of privacy but the fact that he almost caught her as Loria instead of Talia. _Dammit, just when things were going so smoothly with reuniting with Brynjolf._

Brynjolf and Loria had been riding through Whiterun Hold the past couple of hours in silence in the brisk morning, the blustery winds blowing her red hair back from her face. The two frequently had long conversations as they traveled together, but now he was only met with silence. He took the whole morning in good humor at her anger, but now realized she was truly angry with him and not just being irritable. He liked that they had so much in common and started to feel bad with how he handled waking her up, remembering how Mercer treated her in the bath. He was behaving just as badly as Mercer. Brynjolf didn’t break into her room for intimidation purposes, but it was controlling.

“I’m sorry, lass,” he finally said.

“What?” she asked. Loria heard him, even over the wind, but she wanted him to repeat it, to mean it.

“I said, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have barged in on you. I was being a smart-ass, controlling. It was wrong, and I admit it.”

Loria turned to him to see if he was lying or simply placating her, but he appeared to be honestly contrite, though who knew with thieves—they made a living out of lying, but she decided to accept his apology. “Thank you for saying that. I’m glad to see you aren’t like Mercer after all.”

Byrnjolf cringed her words. No, he certainly did not want to be like Mercer. “I’m not like him. He wasn’t trying to sexualize you that day in the bath. He was trying to have power over you. He enjoys...men, not women.”

“Oh, I know he was just being an asshole, but I had no idea he preferred men. What’s your story then for not leaving the bath area?”

“I tried to avoid looking at you, but you’re right, I should have left and I should have forced Mercer to do the same, though no one forces Mercer to do much of anything. I’m sorry for that too.”

“I appreciate you saying that. So we aren’t going to make a habit out of it then?”

“Certainly not, unless you want me to, of course,” Brynjolf said, trying to plant the idea that he was interested, but would respect her wishes. “Friends again?”

“Friends,” she replied with one of her beautiful smiles.

Sunset was approaching, so they decided to make camp for the night. Loria went off to hunt for their dinner since she was the one with the bow while Byrnjolf set up the camp. She could also see in the dark, which helped. When she returned with a pheasant, Loria was surprised to see only one tent up.

“Where’s my tent? I brought one.”

“I know, but it’s going to be freezing tonight. We will need body heat as the fire dies.”

“No, I have fur and a bedroll. I will be warm enough. You’re a Nord...you people can tolerate the cold.”

“Lass, you’re going to be freezing.”

Loria wanted to sleep alone so she could remove her enchanted ring that helped hold her disguise while she slept, but he was right. The day was already freezing and the night would get even colder. “Fine, but keep those hands in your bedroll.”

“I will be a complete gentleman.”

After dinner, Loria was poking at the fire, sitting next to Brynjolf, lost in thought. She realized the extent of traveling with someone while trying to maintain her other persona. It was one thing having her own room at an inn, but much more complicated out camping. Her body was going to need to rest, but she had to keep that ring on. When she slept in the Cistern, she would periodically sneak into a spare room, lock it and remove her ring to sleep as herself. If she couldn’t give her body a rest, she would struggle to sleep sometimes after prolonged use of the ring.

In hindsight, she probably should have been honest with Brynjolf from the start. He probably would have kept her secret from everyone else, happy to see her alive, but it was too late. Loria knew he would be angry with her should she reveal her secret. That was something she had to think seriously about because it could happen.

“Byrn, do you ever get lonely?” she asked out of nowhere, her thoughts drifting to the night before when he tried to kiss her. She struggled with her commitment issues and loneliness. The two were constantly at odds with each other, tugging her in different directions. Her biggest mistake was Arik, but she didn’t know if the mistake was due to the fact she let the relationship go on for so long or that she left him behind. Perhaps both.

“Where did that come from, lass?”

“I don’t know,” she shrugged. “I thought since you and I have so much in common, perhaps you have some insight or answers or, I don’t know… I feel this strange internal struggle between loneliness and not wanting a man as a permanent fixture in my life. I just wondered if you ever get lonely.”

Brynjolf thought about what she was asking. He could understand what she was saying, and he may have felt that way when he was younger and angrier, but he had gotten so used to the way things were, not really thinking about it too much anymore. It was quite the personal question, but since she was being so open about it, he saw no harm in explaining how he dealt with it.

“I used to, lass. I wasn’t back in Riften for very long before Gallus was murdered and Loria fled. He sent me to the Dibella temple to train for the seduction arts, as you know, and that was when I fell in love...you know the story. Yes, I was lonely for a long time, angry. My world imploded the day Gallus died, a war ensued in the Guild and I had to kill my friends to protect Mercer.” He absent-mindedly rubbed the scar on his face, lost in memories. “It was how I got this scar. I wouldn’t say I’m not lonely now, but I have numbed things, I guess. I drowned the pain with women at the time, but it was only temporary. I don’t know if you’re expecting any real answers and I can’t say I have it all together. I’ve just gotten used to the way things are.” Brynjolf said more than he intended to, forcing him to look deeper inside himself than he had in a long while. Talia did that to him and he wasn’t sure how she was able to do that. Perhaps because they had so much in common.

“Part of me is afraid of that, afraid I will go numb. It’s already happening, but Arik sort of changed all that, forcing me to really think about things.”

“Will you eventually go back to him?” Brynjolf asked, hoping she was going to be a permanent fixture in the Thieves Guild.

“No, that would be cruel to both of us. I couldn’t do that to him. He deserves better than me,” Loria explained.

“Talia, please don’t tell me you are having self-esteem issues. You seem very much worth a man’s time.”

“No, I don’t have self-esteem issues. You’re not hearing me. He is a good man and he deserves someone who can give him what he wants and that isn’t me. He deserves more than me as in what I can give him.”

“I see...so what is bringing this all on, lass?”

She had known Brynjolf longer than Brynjolf had known her, as Talia, so for Loria to slip back into his life was surprisingly easy. She had to be careful with how she handled him. It was becoming too easy to talk to him.

“Nothing. I was just thinking. I’m going to sleep, so be sure to keep that dagger in your sheath,” she jested, trying to deflect with humor.

“What if I need to...sharpen it?”

“That sounds dangerous...you better be careful with it then.”

Brynjolf chuckled as she headed to their tent, but he knew she was deflecting, deciding to just play along. It was getting too deep for him anyway.

Brynjolf woke up early in the morning to Talia snuggled into his back. She was warm and he could feel warm breath on his neck. She felt good next to him, too good, not wanting to get up, but they had to press on if they wanted to finish this job. It had been two days already sleeping close together and he just wanted to roll over and hold her, snake hands along her skin to see if it felt as soft as it looked. 

He did roll over, but only because they had to wake up, but she wasn’t stirring awake as he expected. Instead, she snuggled in tighter, still sleeping. There were dark circles under her eyes. She looked exhausted, even in her sleep. He wondered how well she was sleeping at night.

He saw Talia’s swollen and dark eyes finally open as she stared at him staring at her. “You look rough,” he said.

“Thanks a lot,” she gripped, not in the mood. She knew she looked horrible, barely sleeping a wink because she was unable to rest her body from the spell.

“Lass, are you having trouble sleeping. I didn’t know sleeping next to me was so horrible,” he said, teasing her a bit.

“Despite your warmth, I still get cold and I hate sleeping outside. I will take a nap when we reach Solitude.”

“And what about when we head back? Are you going to be OK, lass?” Brynjolf asked in concern, done teasing her.

“You worry about you and I will worry about me,” she demanded, her lack of sleep making her irritable, not wanting to explain why she’s really looking exhausted.

Brynjolf just shook his head wondering why she seemed to be lying to him. What did it matter why she was struggling to sleep? There didn’t seem to be a reason for it that he could think of. He hoped it didn’t impair her judgment or affect her ability to get the job done. At least they were almost near Solitude. She could get some sleep as soon as they got there before they hunted down Gulum-Ei.

It was early afternoon when they stabled their horses in the Solitude Stables and made their way towards the city itself. Loria would have been more impressed were she not so exhausted, eyes blurring from lack of sleep, feet slowly dragging.

“Tell me about this Gulum-Ei,” she said.

"It’s hard to believe Gulum-Ei's mixed up in all this; that Argonian couldn't find his tail with both hands. Don't get me wrong, he could scam a beggar out of his last septim... but he's no mastermind. He was good friends with Gallus and Karliah, but after Gallus died, Gulum-Ei stopped being the Thieves Guild fence and now works alone, refusing to work with Mercer.."

“Great, so how do we handle him?”

“Let’s just see how he reacts to us first then we can either play his game or just demand the information.”

“Have you ever met him before?”

“No, only through correspondence, but that was a while ago. We will look for him tonight. You need to sleep first.”

Loria wasn’t about to argue with that.

After they paid for their rooms, Loria skipped her meal altogether and headed to her room, quickly passing out into a dreamless sleep.

“You look better, lass,” Brynjolf said, seeing Talia come down to the tavern, shoving a plate of food her way as she sat down. “I was just going to wake you.”

“Oh, is that for me?” she asked, shoveling food into her mouth, starving since she skipped her mid-day meal. “Thank you.”

“Gulum-Ei is here in the far corner...don’t look. When you’re done, we will head over there.”

Loria felt like a new person with sleep and food in her stomach. Now she was ready to tackle the Argonian as she and Brynjolf made their way to him. They could see he was eyeing them suspiciously.

"So, what do we have here? Hmm. Let me guess. By your scent, I'd say you were from the Guild. But that can't be true, because I told Mercer I wouldn't deal with them anymore," the Argonian said as soon as they stood before him, his voice coming out nearly hiss-like.

“We are here about Goldenglow Estate,” Loria simply explained.

"I don't deal with land or property. Now, if you're looking for goods, you've come to the right person," Gulum-Ei said dismissively.

“You can drop the act now... ‘Gajul-Lei,’” said Brynjolf, arms crossed.

"Oh, wait... did you say Goldenglow Estate? My apologies. I'm sorry to say I know very little about that... bee farm, was it?" 

Loria rolled her eyes, “Look, we know you acted as the owner. All you have to do is identify the buyer and we can forget this little game you just played trying to undermine the Thieves Guild.”

"All right. Had I known the deal would bring this much trouble, I never would have accepted the gold. Look, I was approached by a woman who wanted me to act as the broker for something big. She flashed a bag of gold in my face and said all I had to do was pay Aringoth for the estate. I brought him the coin and walked away with her copy of the deed. That’s it.”

“I know you know who this woman is. Out with it,” Brynjolf demanded.

“I don’t know what to tell you. I never saw her, so I have no other information for you. Now that we are done here, I will be on my way,” Gulum-Ei stated, standing and leaving the tavern without so much as a care.

“Let me follow him,” Loria said. “Let me do this and show the Guild that I can handle the Argonian.” She wanted to go alone to save time. Loria could easily follow in the shadows and under the cover of darkness using her powers. Having Brynjolf tag along would take too long and they would more likely get caught.

“We can do this together. What happens if there’s trouble?”

“Bryn, I can handle trouble. If I can handle Goldenglow, I should be able to handle this. Please, just let me try. If I can reach him or find anything on him, I will come back for you,” she explained, looking at him pleadingly.

Brynjolf waved his hands as if shooing her away. “Fine, go one then. Be careful and get the job done right. You don’t want to cross Mercer or Maven.”

Loria could barely contain her relief. Now she could work and be herself as she tracked down the Argonian to see what he was up to. If she was lucky, perhaps she could find who he was really working for and get to the bottom of this mysterious woman.

It didn’t take her long to catch up to Gulum-Ei as he walked in the night out past the city walls. She couldn’t figure out where he was going until they reached the steps down to the shipping docks and to the East Empire Company warehouse. Still in shadow, so none of the guards could see her, she made quick work of the door to the storage building. The Argonian was further ahead, but that was fine as long as she had him in her sights.

The benefit of her shadowy form was none of the guards could see her, so she wouldn’t have to hurt or kill them, and she could follow Gulum-Ei relatively close without him noticing, though he periodically looked behind him as if he could sense someone.

It took nearly thirty minutes to reach the end of the secret cave the Argonian led her to. He was there talking to some Khajiit. The area was filled with goods, hidden away from the rest of the warehouse and she realized this was where he kept his stolen goods.

Slipping past two guards, her body materialized behind large storage shelves, her bow drawn at the two beasts. “Dare me,” she said to the Khajiit who withdrew his sword, but Loria was not to be distracted as she fired two arrows at the kneecaps of the two guards trying to sneak up on her. She was pleased the Khajiit made the right decision to drop his weapon.

"Now, there's no need to do anything rash... This isn't as bad as it seems. I was going to tell Mercer about everything, honestly! Please... he'll have me killed!" Gulum-Ei nearly stammered.

“You have more to worry about than Mercer right now. If you tell me now, perhaps I will show you some mercy and not tell Mercer anything. That depends on how much information you give me,” Loria explained, pointing her bow at the Khajiit. “You can go.”

“All right, all right. It's Karliah... her name is Karliah."

Loria felt the world drop out from under her. Karliah was not a name she was expecting after twenty-five years. She had long given up that she would find the woman who killed her father. Loria was so shocked her magic no longer held and she reappeared as Loria, but not caring.

Gulum-Ei took a step back, “What trickery is this.”

“No fucking trickery. I’m Loria, Gallus’ daughter. Karliah killed him! You tell me where she is right now!”

“I...I...I don’t know. I swear!”

Instead of arguing, she reached her shadow into his mind to see if he was telling the truth or where she could find Karliah, but he wasn’t lying and he had only been reaching out to Karliah by correspondence.

“Fuck!”

“You’re seriously Gallus’ daughter? Unbelievable.”

“And, you’re working with a murderer.”

“Now she’s after Mercer,” Gulum-Ei explained. “She’s seeking revenge for him, but she didn’t bother to tell me why. Are you sure she killed your father?”

“Yes, I’m sure! Shit! How could you work with her!”

Gulum-Ei held up his hands as if Loria was going to kill him at any moment. “Look, it’s just business. I don’t work for the Guild any longer. Besides, I have known Karliah for a long time. I find it hard to believe she killed Gallus.”

“Well, she did. What did she tell you, where did she go!”

"I don't know. When I asked her where she was going she just muttered "Where the end began." Here, take the Goldenglow Estate Deed as proof. And when you speak to Mercer, tell him I'm worth more to him alive. Please tell him I cooperated.”

“The only thing keeping you alive right now is the fact that I know you weren’t lying. Fine, I will tell him. In return, you will be our fence in Solitude once again.”

The anger that coursed through Loria was nearly consuming as she returned to Solitude. To find out Karliah had been undermining the Guild was going to nearly break Loria. It wasn’t enough that Karliah killed her father, but she wanted to destroy everything that he built. It was too much.

At the gates, Loria calmed herself to maintain her Talia form once more and walked into the Winking Skeever where Brynjolf was waiting for her.

“I can see the bad news written all over your face, lass,” Brynjolf observed when she walked in.

Once more, Loria took his bottle mead from his hand and chugged it down. “Sorry,” she said. “I needed that. I will buy the next round.”

“Well, out with it.”

Loria sat down at the table, face in her trembling hands to keep from weeping. She didn’t want to break down in front of Brynjolf lest he gets wise to who she really was. “Karliah. The person of the Guild’s woes is Karliah.”

“Please tell me this is one of your jokes,” he said weakly, hearing the truth in her voice, but not wanting to believe it.

“I’m not joking. She has been undermining the Guild by severing the relationship it has with Maven. Once she is out of the picture, the only thing holding the Guild together financially, the Guild will be no more.”

“Gods be damned!” Brynjolf nearly shouted. “So it wasn’t enough that she killed Gallus?”

Loria didn’t admit she shared the same sentiments. “I don’t know, but apparently, she’s after Mercer next.”

“We need to get back then, tell Mercer everything.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: The unexpected happens.
> 
> We have the second story in the series involving Mephala, the Dark Brotherhood, and dear Nazir. It's a bit darker, but happy moments too, We hope you like it. [A Tangled Web](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25759513%22)


	21. Bonds Are Hard to Break

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talia (Loria) and Bryjnolf bond on another level, an unexpected but pleasurable surprise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NSFW content

The return to Riften was quiet except for the rustling of leaves and the birds chirping as Loria and Brynjolf silently spent time reflecting into their pasts with Gallus and Karliah. Loria struggled with revealing herself to Brynjolf, almost doing so several times. She wanted to be closer to him, to share in their renewed pain and grief. But she needed to find Karliah and didn't want the woman to know Loria was after her or see that she was there trying to build up the Guild once more. That meant maintaining her disguise. But was that the truth? It was something she Loria kept telling herself, anyway.

Her personal pain had to be reeled in carefully, not wanting Brynjolf to wonder why Talia was so disturbed that Karliah was involved in trying to take down the Guild. The other dilemma she faced was the closer she got to Brynjolf, the more she drew to the man. It didn't help that Loria was sleeping next to him, snuggled into him. She couldn't help but feel things stir, despite her best efforts to shove them down. In her mind, she was seeing him more of a man and less of the boy she grew up with. It was a strange feeling, but they dwindled the more time she spent with the big Nord, slowly replaced with desire. But that wasn’t it either. It wasn’t desire as much as wanting to get closer to him, in a different way.

 _How would he feel if he knew he was intimate with a girl he grew up with? Would it disgust him? Would he desire me as I do him? Or would there be more due to our childhood bond?_ These rambling thoughts spread through her mind like rippling water. Her mind produced more questions than answers. The lure to share their pain was strong, it tugged and pulled at her mind, but she held back, afraid of his reaction and uncertainties.

His eyes focused on the road ahead, long red hair blowing back from the wind, unbothered by the frigid temperatures. Loria didn't know what possessed her, but she reached out her hand for Byrnjolf to take as they were slowly riding their horses in silence. She wanted to comfort him, this need to make him feel a bit better, knowing, understanding his pain. The simple gesture was good for her too. She needed that connection with her childhood friend.

"Hey, are you OK, Bryn?" she asked.

Brynjolf looked at Talia's hand reaching for his, taking it, rubbing his thumb across her cold, bare knuckles. Then he looked up to see genuine concern for him, wondering why she cared so much. "Aye, lass, I will be alright. It was a shock to find out Karliah is mixed up in trying to bring down the Guild. It just brought back a lot of pain I thought long forgotten, more like buried, I guess."

"I can understand that. We will find her, OK? We will stop her and make the Guild something to be proud of," Loria said, trying to give Brynjolf hope. She believed her words too, confident they would stop Karliah. Then Loria could be herself, and hopefully, Brynjolf wouldn't terribly hate her, forgive her for keeping her secret about who she really was. She hoped their bond was strong enough that he would understand why she did it.

"How are you holding up?" Brynjolf asked, concerned as well about her health since she still wasn't sleeping well, looking exhausted. He wished there were more towns between Riften and Solitude so she could sleep better, not that he minded her sleeping next to him.

"Looking forward to getting back to Riften. I could use a good night's sleep."

"Not used to sleeping next to someone?" Byrnjolf hazard a guess since she wasn't very forthcoming as to why she wasn't sleeping, yet knowing she tended not to stay the night with men.

"What's not to like about sleeping next to you, always worried about that dagger in your pocket," she deflected.

"You jest, lass, but there is something you aren't telling me," he said, not laughing, not taking her bait.

"I'm just struggling, alright? I need a bed, and no, I'm not used to sleeping next to someone. Staying the night with Arik is one of the reasons that led me to finally leave," she admitted, realizing Byrnjolf wasn't falling for her lies and offered a truth to deflect. "Not that you aren't all warm and snuggly," she laughed. Surprisingly, Loria did enjoy that part, and it certainly kept her warm at night.

Brynjolf gave her a mischievous smile, letting go of her hand. "In that case, my bed is always open if you need periodic warmth," he offered, hoping she would take him up on his offer.

"Perhaps," was all she said, but there was a slightly seductive smile on her face as well, indicating that she was seriously thinking about his offer.

The two finally made it to Ivarstead, much to Loria's relief. She could finally remove her enchanted ring and sleep soundly. In two more days, they would be back in Riften, eager to tell Mercer everything, and unbeknownst to either of them, both wanted the trip to linger a bit longer despite the urgency so they could spend more time alone.

Even though they weren't sexually active, Brynjolf enjoyed Talia's company more than he thought he would. She was beautiful, of course, but she was insightful and kind. A trait that was not very common around thieves. Talia was the kind of person who would have been great as a Guild Leader. She reminded him a bit of Gallus, for some strange reason, not in appearance, but her demeanor and personality.

Talia walked up the steps from the cellar of Vilemyr Inn after her bath, long red hair wet and still dripping on her clothes. Though her eyes still held dark circles, she looked much better, refreshed. Brynjolf couldn't ignore how beautiful she looked freshly scrubbed, her skin bright. He wanted to spend time staring at her, but he had his own bath to take, unable to stand his stink any longer.

By the time he came back up, clean, the food was at the table, Talia eating away. 

"Sorry, I'm starving and couldn't wait for you. You took your sweet time," she teased.

"It takes a lot of work to look this good”.

Loria snorted a laugh, "Indeed. Well, it's paid off." A coy look crept over her face, eyebrow cocked, a smile playing on her lips as she ate.

"You clean up rather well yourself, lass, though you still look tired."

"Thanks for the concern, but I feel good now and will feel even better with a good night's sleep finally."

Brynjolf wanted to ask her to share his room for a while and finally see if he could get her in bed for more than just sleeping. It had not been easy keeping his hands to himself while she slept pressed against him. It was nearly instinctual for him to hold a woman who was sleeping beside him. He’d done it often enough. Talia was different, though. He had gotten to know her more than he had most women who came into his life, generally only lasting for one sexual encounter and never seeing them again. No that wasn’t true either. He had never gotten to know a woman like he had Talia, even among his own thieves. No one knew much about him, Talia knowing nearly as much as Delvin at this point.

While Brynjolf had sex with the thieves before, they understood that it would never become serious. They had needs, he had needs, and they resolved by a quick romp in a bed. He didn't share much of his life with them, not wanting to get close to anyone. He was forced to with Talia, traveling with her for a week and a half. She was strangely easy to talk to, and he wanted more of her. Brynjolf was struggling with how to approach the subject. Usually, it was easy for him, but he found himself at a loss as to what to say to her about it. His invitation was thick in his mouth, unable to ask.

Her eyes were closed, sipping her ale as she listened to the lute player, slowly rolling her head as she enjoyed the music while he watched her, feeling the itch, the yearning. Brynjolf was about to open his mouth to finally invite her to his bed, but she opened her eyes, stretched, and announced it was time for her to sleep. The disappointment was etched on his face, her back to him, as he watched her go. Perhaps when they got back to Riften, he would ask her or make his move.

Reluctantly, as he headed to his room, he grabbed another ale and closed his door. He removed his tunic and boots and pulled out a book from his pack. He propped himself up on the bed and started to read, not ready for sleep yet as the evening was relatively young.

Loria had transformed back to her old self and thought she would sleep easier now that she was in her normal form, and she had a bed, but she was oddly missing Brynjolf's warm body next to her. She felt so close to him, it was nearly frustrating. 

Loria tossed and turned for nearly an hour, but sleep remained elusive. She sighed in frustration, staring at the wooden beams on the ceiling. It was a strange turn of events going from refusing to stay the night with a man to being unable to sleep without one, unsure what to do about it, if anything.

_You can't get used to sleeping next to the man, Lor. Get over it and fall asleep now! What are you going to do when you get back to the Cistern? You can't very well use him as a human pillow for the rest of your life._

"Fuck it!" She shouted into her pillow, giving up trying to force herself to sleep.

Brynjolf heard a slight knock on his door and went to answer it, surprised to see Talia looking up at him with a sheepish smile on her face. Instead of saying anything or explaining why she was there, she shoved him back into his room and shut the door behind her, her back pressed against his door.

Loria looked at his shirtless body, the first time she had seen him so and realized how fit he was. Years of training had left pleasant muscles in his chest and arms. A dusting of red chest hair graced his body with lovely freckles covering his skin. Suddenly she wanted to run her fingers all over his chest, combing them in his hair. _Stop it, you knew him as a child, Lor. It's strange!_

Brynjolf smirked down at her, watching her eyes graze over his body, seeing her breathing pick up. He knew lust when he saw it. He didn't know why she was there, but he wasn't going to let his opportunity slip again. He gently lifted her chin to look at him, her eyes bottomless pits that reflected back at him, so dark he couldn't see her pupils. Leaning down, he reached for her lips, but Talia backed away from him, banging into the door, uncertainty filled in her eyes. 

Loria could tell what Brynjolf wanted as soon as he lifted her chin to look at him, a brazen look in his eyes. She wanted to just snuggle in bed with him, not make love, but that delicious body was quite distracting. It wasn't that she hated the idea, but she had known him in her youth. Instinct forced her to take a step back from him. The undisguised disappointment on his face was obvious, his frustration explained in a sigh. He didn’t know what to say or do, torn between leaving and kissing him. If he were any other man, this wouldn't have been an issue.

"Talia, why are you here, lass?" Brynjolf finally asked. If she wasn't there for sex, then why was she there? 

His eyes widened in surprise, but only for a moment as he melted into her kiss. Loria had forgone all caution, throwing it into the proverbial wind and just kissed him, grasping his face with two hands as he pulled her body into his. His hands boldly slipped under her tunic, caressing her back. Brynjolf's lips were softer than she expected, not that she usually thought about his lips, soft or otherwise. His warm and smooth tongue pried through her lips, exploring for hers. She was stiff at first, but softened into him the longer they kissed as her doubts and uncertainties washed away, letting desire run its course. 

Talia felt like a missing puzzle piece that fit perfectly as if she belonged pressed against him. Her skin was as soft as he predicted as he ran his hands along her back, feeling firm breasts pressed up against his body, wanting to touch, kiss, lick, nibble them. His heart rate and breathing picked up as she stood on tippy toes to nibble his ear, him kissing her neck. Just as quickly, they were mouth to mouth once more, tongues a tangled mess as they became heated. He felt her hands comb through his chest hair, nails gently scratching the skin. Her closeness felt different to him, as if they had done this before, natural. It didn’t feel like one of his normal quick romps. He desired her, and to explore every inch of her, not knowing why it mattered. So Brynjolf slowed things down between them, wanting to explore Talia, not rush through it. All he knew was what he wanted to do, and he was going to do it.

Loria looked into Brynjolf's heated green eyes, standing close, but no longer kissing. His eyes were focused on her shoulder as he slipped off the tunic, pressing sweet, gentle kisses on her skin, her head leaning to the side to help his access. His lips on her skin were tingling on her flesh. All doubts and worries washed away with each kiss. Every touch was like being cleansed from uncertainty. Their friendship had turned into something more at that moment, her bond to him strengthening with each touch. This was not something she experienced before nor anticipated, but it wasn't unpleasant. Screw that! It was disarming, enthralling. For the first time, she wasn’t afraid of what would happen if things turned serious. She just wanted him.

Brynjolf's lips trailed kisses up to her neck, and he reached for her mouth once more. The taste of mead on his lips sent her reeling, not knowing why. Their kiss was slower as if to savor each touch. One hand grasped her thick hair behind her head firmly, and another traveled up her torso to cup a breast through the thin fabric, hearing his breath hitched as she rewarded him with a moan. The touch was gentle as her nipple hardened to his thumb grazing through the thing cloth, in contrast to the firm tugging of her hair.

The more Talia let him touch her, the more he explored as if each touch was daring him to press forward and feel more of her body. He wasn’t going to be satisfied until he tasted every inch of her. Brynjolf’s hand slipped under her tunic, fingers gliding over goose-pimpled flesh, the delicate touch lightly tickling her. A hand reached her breast, feeling the fullness of it, kneading. He was done kissing her, his face pressed into her hair, that piney floral smell of lavender was seductive, but only on her.

Loria thought after all of Brynjolf's training at the Temple of Dibella, his movements would be more contrived, purposeful. While he clearly knew what he was doing, it felt natural to her, as if he really wanted her and it wasn't just about the sex. She knew better, but that was how comfortable he made her feel. Despite all her misgivings, she wasn't going to be satisfied with only kisses and daring touches. Loria wanted to explore all of him, to have him inside of her. There was no way she was stopping this, not caring how it came to be or even trying to understand it. It just felt right.

She could feel Brynjolf grab the hem of her tunic and feel it slowly lift up. Loria pulled back to allow him to pull it off of her. She had never been shy of her body, and she wasn't going to start now as he stood there, as his hungry eyes glazed over her breasts, an instinctual swipe of his tongue on his lips. The only thing she changed in her appearance was her face and hair, everything else was hers being too difficult to maintain full body changes, ring or no ring.

Brynjolf was too tall to reach his lips to her breasts, wanting to devour them, but he was patient as he pulled her slowly to the bed and sat her down. Kneeling between her legs, he cupped one breast while pressing kisses to the soft, warm mound of another. He could hear her breath shudder when he rolled a nipple between fingers and twirled his tongue around another. 

It was strange to watch a man sitting between her legs kissing her breasts, almost in deference to them. Not knowing what else to do with her hands, her fingers tangled in his thick red locks, arching her back to inflate her breasts further into his mouth. Not to neglect her other breast, lips curved around her other nipple, nibbling, licking, sucking. The heat between her legs was building up to nearly painful proportions, wanting a release, but she didn't press him to move faster.

No words were used between them other than moans and groans to indicate they were alive and enjoying each other, using hands to convey unspoken words. Brynjolf pressed a hand in between breasts, pushing her back gently onto the bed, hovering over her, kissing her once more. Wanting to taste her was driving him now, pushing up to trail his lips down her body, the only thing between him and her sweet nectar was her breeches. Back on his knees, he purposefully took his time removing each boot, placing each sock inside her boots, moving up to unbuckle her breeches, slowly pulling them off. Folding them, Brynjolf placed them neatly on the chair, and that was when Talia had his full attention. 

She was still on her back, a hand running through her thick red hair, breathing heavily as he watched her stomach move up and down in eager anticipation of what was to come. His eyes lingered on her body, taking her all in. The trust and vulnerability that women conveyed with their bodies never ceased to amaze him. Leaning over her once more, kissing her, fingers trailed between her folds, groaning at how wet she was. She was ready for him, and while he could take her right then, he wanted to prolong their moment. Sitting up and back on his knees, Brynjolf grasped Talia's hips, he slid her ass slightly off the bed, placing legs over his broad shoulders, allowing him full access to her, breathing in her sensual musk that nearly drove him over the edge of lost control. 

Loria could feel lips press gentle kisses on her thighs, a smooth tongue trailing on her flesh. She was already about to burst, his teases making her want to shout out to him to take her already, but she maintained her control to enjoy each moment. Her back spasmodically arched as soon as his tongue hit her wet core, forcing her sex into his eager mouth, fingers curled in the blanket beneath her. She was lost in his delicious tongue gliding over flesh and sensitive nerves, feeling the heat build and build, centralizing between her legs, the heat traveling to her flushed face.

Brynjolf's hands sought out hers as their fingers entwined, using them to pull her closer to his mouth as he dug in deeper with his tongue, enjoying the sounds coming from her, knowing she was enjoying his licks and sucks. He could feel the heat coming off of her, radiating from her core to his face, knowing she was getting close. Moving away from the sensitive bud, his tongue trailed in her folds, lapping up her honey to calm her a bit before turning his attention back to her small bundle of nerves, stimulating them, ignoring her pleas to finish her.

All the sensations Brynjolf was providing her culminated at that moment as Loria grasped his fingers tightly still tangled in her own, back arched, unable to contain her loud moan as her body froze, exploding in his mouth. Shuddering waves coursed through her with a sweet release seemingly having no end as he gave her no reprieve in his attack on her bud. She tried to pull away, sweat beaded her brow, the sensation nearly too strong, but he held her fast, forcing her to endure until she begged for no more with a stuttering 'please, no more.'

Brynjolf gently pried her legs off his shoulders, wiped her wetness off the scruff of his beard, and watched her unmoving, sprawled, but still breathing heavily, the only indication she was still alive as he removed his breeches and smalls. He knew her body would be completely numb, as the wave of her orgasm subsided, but he wasn't going to let her rest, gently and effortlessly slipping inside of her, her core slick. He smiled, watching her face, her eyes closed, but her legs wrapped tightly around him, gasping for breath as he penetrated her.

Loria was completely numb and unable to move, unable to stop him from inserting himself in her, had she wanted to, but she did want him to, more than anything. He filled her, and she wanted to arch her back into him, forcing him deeper into her, but she was weak, allowing him to do most of the work. She managed to wrap her legs around him, enjoying his hardness inside of her as he already found that perfect spot sending a wave of pleasure through her once more. Eyes closed, arms flung limply at her sides, she felt his face close to hers, lips touching hers. Her kiss was sloppy in her weakness, but Loria managed to slip a tongue in his mouth. Between the heated, kiss, nipple pinching, and his thrust, she could feel herself build once more, her body growing a second wind of energy.

She was tight, but the slickness allowed him to move effortlessly back and forth, movements slow, but deepening, readying himself to move faster and deeper, but not yet. Brynjolf didn't want it to be over too soon, learning at a young age to hold back for maximum pleasure not just for himself but also for her. Kisses were a good distraction as his tongue wrapped around hers, her hard nipples rolling between fingers as she moaned into his mouth. 

His lips trailed her neck as Loria threw her head back, her fingers finally moving and wrapping in his hair as she started to thrust with his rhythmic movements. She rewarded him with a mewl as he nibbled too hard on a nipple, but it was a pleasurable pain. "More," she managed to gasp out, wanting him to move faster and deeper. 

"Patience…"

Brynjolf smiled at her when she whined that he wouldn't move to the speed she wanted. But he did build his speed and penetration with purposeful ease, the gradual build-up until neither could take it anymore. The moment was drawing near as he reached a point of no return. No amount of misdirection and distractions would slow down his progression unless he outright pulled out of her. He knew he was hitting that one spot women enjoyed, hearing her moan with each thrust, feeling her heat build. The sweat was starting to form upon his brow and back the harder and faster he moved, his heart rate accelerating to nearly alarming rates, feeling like it was about to explode out of his chest, rather than between his legs but he moved faster still. 

The build was nearly impossible to contain, but he held back, knowing she was close, feeling her heat tighten around him. Pulling him in tightly with arms and legs, Talia exploded once more, her slickness and pulsing nearly causing him to let loose right then, not quite ready. When Brynjolf felt her pulses start to subside, he grasped and lifted a leg allowing for deeper penetration. It didn't take him long to spill, groaning loudly with each deep thrust, not stopping until he was utterly spent. 

With a numb and weak body of his own, and without pulling out just yet, still twitching inside of her, he managed to give her a sweaty and breathy kiss. Talia was beautiful lying there in all her weakened sexual haze, unable to move as he pulled out and laid next to her on his side, trailing gentle fingers across her panting stomach with erratic breaths and in between breasts, feeling her heart pound against bone.

Loria was already exhausted, but between two orgasms, she fell asleep right there to his gentle touches, not noticing him pulling her to sleep lengthwise on the bed and wrapping his body around her.

Brynjolf, too, was exhausted. Pleasing a woman as much as he did, took a lot of energy, but it was well worth seeing them turn to limp noodles when it was all over. Kissing her forehead, he pulled the blanket on top of them and soon fell asleep himself.

Neither Loria nor Brynjolf talked about what happened between them the next morning as they sat down for breakfast, but they didn't need to, their eyes saying all that needed to be said. She was nervous that she would feel strange or disgusted with herself after having sex with Bryjolf, but she didn't. It felt natural to her like they sort of belonged together. Perhaps it was that bond she always felt with him growing up, which returned as she reconnected with him. Her fingers played with the ring around her neck as she watched him sip his tea, a small smile played on her lips. 

If this was something they would do again, she welcomed it. She hoped it would, but between the thieves and their commitment issues, she doubted it would turn into anything more. But Loria wondered if she was lying to herself. Brynjolf was different from most men she had been with, not because he was good in bed, but because she connected on a different level with him. If anyone understood why she was the way she was, he would. She didn't have to worry about making excuses with him, worry about the lies of not wanting a commitment. But was that what she wanted? Shaking her head internally, she decided to play it by ear and see what may come, if at all. Loria didn't want to worry about such things until there was a time to actually worry.

Brynjolf also watched her, though not smiling, the twinkle and good humor in his green eyes said it all. Last night was strange for him but in a good way. Well, he couldn't really decide if it was good or not. He enjoyed their lovemaking, but it was more than that. He had gotten to know her better than most women he had come across, mainly in an attempt at avoidance, not wanting to get close, but he was sort of forced to do just that with her as they traveled together. He enjoyed his traveling partner, and it helped that they had so much in common, so he was able to relate to her. He couldn't pinpoint why, but it felt like he had known her for years instead of mere weeks.

"You play with that ring around your neck a lot when you're lost in thought. That's a man's ring. An old lover? Did someone die?" Brynjolf asked, wanting to know.

Loria decided to be partially honest with him since he could read her so well. "It's a gift I bought years ago for an old friend, hoping to see him again one day. Eventually, it just became a part of me, a way to hold on to him and for luck."

"Do you know where he is? Do you think you will see him again? Is he a lover?"

"So many questions," she laughed. "Yes, I know where he is, and yes, I know I will see him again. No, he's not a lover."

"Why don't you reach out to him then?"

"I'm not sure he would want to see me," she explained simply.

"Did you part on bad terms?"

"Not exactly, but he probably didn't appreciate the way I left." Loria had to tread carefully here with how she was answering, not wanting to give away too many details lest he learned who she really was.

"I am sure he would understand. Friends do that understanding thing," Brynjolf said, not really having any real and close friends, not as he used to in his youth, except for Delvin.

"Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. I don't know. I think right now I'm afraid to, not wanting to face his disappointment. Maybe one day when I'm braver."

"Well, it's your life to do with as you wish, but I'm sure if you explained things to him, he would forgive you if he's even upset with you. He probably wonders about you too now and then. I can imagine you being very hard to forget."

Loria smiled at the compliment, "Maybe."

The day was unusually warm for the time of year, a gentle wind was blowing, yellow leaves raining down from the birch trees, creating a yellow and orange carpet when they left Ivarstead

"Oh, finally to not be freezing," Loria said, riding on Nebula. "I mean, I love the cold and the snow, but I just don't enjoy all the shivering. I have to admit, it's better than sweating in the heat of Summer in Cyrodiil."

"I've never been. I heard the Imperial City is quite nice."

"It is. It's larger than any city in Skyrim, even compared to Solitude, though we didn't get much of a chance to look around other than to stalk that damned lizard."

The evening was drawing near as the two made camp, eating a meager meal they bought in Ivarstead, sitting next to each other by the fire. 

"You've been strangely silent on what happened between us last night, lass."

"So have you," she retorted, not sure she wanted to be having this conversation. 

"I know. I just found it unusual, is all. I guess I shouldn't make assumptions in regards to you. I'm just used to women asking me when I'm going to see them again, can we have a permanent relationship, why can't we get married, blah, blah, blah."

Loria laughed, imaging Brynjolf having to fight off these women, which she was sure was more comical in her head than the real thing. "Yes, I get the 'blah, blah, blah's' a lot too back in the Imperial City."

"I am still curious enough to ask again, lass."

Loria wasn't sure exactly what he was asking. Did Byrnjolf want to have more with her? Was that what he was saying? Was it really just curiosity or merely a way to give him an answer? If answers were what he wanted, she wasn't sure she could give them, especially after convincing herself that morning she would just play things by ear. Unable to provide him with a real answer for she didn't know herself, she leaned in and gave him a gentle kiss on the lips, hoping to distract him from his question.

"That's not really an answer, lass," he said as the parted lips.

"Do all answers have to be of the verbal variety?"

Brynjolf chuckled, "No, they don't."

 _Just be honest, Lor. You don't need to lie your way through every guy you meet._ "Fine, my honest answer is I don't know why. I feel strangely relating to you, and I have very much enjoyed our travels together, surprisingly. I find myself drawn to you. But I have explained the way I am, and you explained the way you are. I told myself to just play it as it goes and see what happens. I know it's not much of an answer, but it's all I have."

"It was a good answer, lass. I feel the same, which was why I asked a question I don't normally do."

"One thing I know for sure is I want to do what we did last night again," she laughed, a strange type of nervousness spreading through her.

"Then you will have it," he simply said and leaned in to kiss her once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please let us know what you think down in the comments <3
> 
> We have the second story in the series involving Mephala, the Dark Brotherhood, and dear Nazir. It's a bit darker, but happy moments too, We hope you like it. [A Tangled Web](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25759513%22)


	22. Importance of Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talia (Loria) finds a friend in Sapphire. The secrete - what secret - is out about Talia and Bryn. Another secret has also been discovered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! <3 We would love to hear from you down in the comments.

It was late when Brynjolf and Loria returned to the Cistern the following evening. The two were exhausted from their long journey but felt it was important to give Mercer the information they found right away, but he was nowhere to be found. The two agreed to meet in the morning to talk to the Guild Master.

Loria was off to walk to her bed when Brynjolf pulled her into a dark corner, hand pressed against the small of her back, and leaned down to kiss her. Everyone was asleep, so Brynjolf didn't worry about them being caught. 

"Goodnight, lass," he whispered in her ear as they separated from each other. His breath sending goosebumps down her arm and shivered.

"Night, Bryn," Loria said. She walked off smiling to sleep in her own bed. Once she was sure Brynolf was asleep in his private room, she headed to the spare room with a bed, locked it, and removed the spell from her face. She sighed with relief as if she removed shoes that were blistering her feet. If she survived a week and half trip with Brynjolf without revealing herself, Loria was hopeful she could keep up with the spell.

The next morning Loria woke up feeling well-rested and snuck out of the room she slept in the previous night. The Ragged Flagon was busy with thieves eating breakfast, chatting. Brynjolf was at a table in the corner, all seats were taken, so she sat with Delvin while Vekel put a plate of eggs, bread, and cheese in front of her. She tried not to smile or give anyone any indication of what she and Brynjolf had been up to.

"Mornin', Tal," Delvin said. 

"Good morning, Del. Got any jobs for me?"

"Yeah, there's this job in Windhelm. Got word from Torsten Cruel-Sea in Windhelm that a rival Guild is tryin' to get itself started. Not only that, but they're givin' us thieves a bad name by murderin' their marks. Get over there and see what you can do."

"Sounds serious. You got it."

"So you and Brynjolf, huh?" Delvin whispered in her ear.

Loria nearly choked out her tea she was sipping. "Excuse me?" she asked when she could breathe again.

"Bryn thinks he's bein' sneaky, but I've known him too long—since he was a lad. He can't stop lookin' over 'ere. Not that you're not starin' over there either," he teased.

"You are an observant one, aren't you, Del? That's between Bryn and me. Let's just say our travels were not boring."

"I bet they weren't," Delvin chuckled and winked at her. 

"Please don't say anything or spread rumors. We would like to keep anything we do private."

"You got it. You won't 'ear a word more from me."

"Thanks, Del."

"So, Sapphire. Can I do anything for you, or more to the point... to you?" Vipir asked as he and Sapphire sat down at their table for breakfast.

Sapphire groaned and rolled her eyes in annoyance that Vipir was always trying to get her in bed. She was tired of it and snapped at him. "Vipir 'the Fleet.' The only man who's foolish enough to name himself after his bedroom prowess."

"You stupid cow. You don't know what you're missing," Vipir spat, insulted.

"No, but I know that you're going to turn up missing if you keep up this kind of talk," Sapphire replied, holding a dagger to his throat.

"Enough!" Loria yelled out before things got out of hand. "Vipir, don't be an asshole. That is not the way to get a woman into bed. If she says no, then you get over it and move on.

"Mind your…" 

"My business?" Loria finished, interrupting Vipir. "You made it my business when you sat down at my table being an asshole. We are a family here, and you do not treat your family like that."

Vipir abruptly stood, grabbing his plate of food and went to sit at another table in a dark corner to pout.

"He won't leave me alone!" Sapphire complained.

"He will leave you alone. I will make sure of it," Loria offered.

"Well, I gotta run. See ya later Tal, Saph," Delvin said, not wanting to get involved.

Sapphire was moody, shoveling eggs into her mouth. "I wish these men would leave me the fuck alone!"

"You can hardly blame them. You are quite beautiful," Loria said. Who wouldn’t find Sapphire beautiful with her long dark brown locks and bright blue eyes, youthful?

"I can, and I will. They need to leave me alone."

Loria decided to change the subject, "So, is Sapphire your real name or a moniker?" 

"Look, I don't really know you. Why do you care anyway? It's not like we're family. This is a business."

"In the short period that I have known you, you seem angry all the time."

Sapphire sat picking at her food, her face looked like her mind was turning, debating on talking with Loria or killing her. Then she looked up at Loria, anger, and fire in her eyes. "Fine, I'll tell you. I'll tell you about the time I was a young girl, barely out of her teens... living on a pig farm in the middle of nowhere. Didn't have a coin to spend between our entire family. Ate the same slop we fed our livestock."

"That doesn't sound pleasant."

Sapphire barked out an ironic laugh. "Oh, wait... it gets much better. How about the fact that our farm was attacked by bandits, and that they killed my entire family who didn't even brandish a weapon against them. Here's the best part. They took me as a prize and violated me for a fortnight. Tossed me from bandit to bandit like... like..."

"Like a piece of meat? I'm sorry, you don't have to continue, Sapphire."

It's fine... I had to tell someone, I suppose. Carrying around a weight like that... it hurts after a while. Cuts you inside like a dagger to the heart." Sapphire seemed to calm down a bit as if a weight on her shoulders had been lifted.

"So, what happened? How did you manage to escape?" Loria asked, genuinely interested.

"Over time, I managed to gain their confidence. Then one night, I grabbed a knife, waited until they fell asleep and cut their throats. I never returned to that pig farm, you know. There's nothing for me there. So that's my sad story. What do you think?"

"What do I think? I think it was horrible what happened to you and I think they deserved all that they got. It takes amazing strength to pull off what you did. I'm glad you are here."

Sapphire managed to give Loria a small smile, feeling strangely better than she had earlier.

"Listen, do you want to come with me to Windhelm and hunt down these thieving impersonators?" Loria asked. It wasn't just to have company, but just in case she needed back up. If she had to deal with a whole gang, she didn't want to go alone.

"Sounds good."

Mercer was still not around, and Loria found out he was out for the next several days, so she decided to do her job for Delvin in Windhelm with Sapphire. When she got back, hopefully, Mercer would have returned. If she didn't make it back on time, Brynjolf said he would let Mercer know what she found in Solitude.

“Be careful out there, lass,” Brynjolf said when he got her alone for a second, kissing her.

“I will endeavor to do my best to return to his royal highness.”

Since Sapphire didn't have a horse, she just rode with Talia to Windhelm. "Thanks for coming with me, Saph. A situation like this probably calls for having a backup, just in case. This isn't a simple burglary."

"I had nothing else going on; besides, I want the juicy details on you and Bryn."

"By the Gods! Does everyone know? We’ve barely been back in Riften! I told Delvin to keep his yap shut!"

Sapphire laughed at Loria's outburst. "You and Bryn aren't exactly hiding it very well. You do realize that, right? Look, you want to hide something, you act like nothing is going on. But you two are constantly trying to capture glances at each other. It's all in the eyes. It’s quite adorable, really."

"Great, well, so much for it being a secret. It's not like it's serious anyway."

"Are you sure about that? Look, Bryn doesn't look at any women the way he looks at you."

Loria didn't know what to say to that. Was Sapphire right that Bryn wants more with her? It would explain his line of questioning the other day after they had sex. She wasn't sure how that made her feel. It was curious that even though she didn't understand how she felt with what she just learned, she wasn't exactly running for the hills either, which was what she normally would do. That was telling in itself.

"It's nothing," Loria repeated, not sure who she was trying to convince. If he was going to want more from her, this could pose a big problem. While she agreed she would see how things went between them, if things progressed too seriously, it would make it that much more difficult to reveal who she really was without him hating her. No, she was going to have to take a step back if he wanted more. Loria didn't want to hurt him unduly. She didn't want to hurt Arik either, but she did. She regretted how she handled their relationship.

"Right…" Sapphire said, breaking Loria's train of thought. "Hey, it's fine if that's what you both want. Bryn is one of the few men in the Guild I actually respect and like. He's tough, but he's fair, and he's not once tried to touch me or do anything inappropriate, always the professional."

"What about the other women?"

"Jealous?"

"No!" she said, probably protesting a bit too loudly because she could hear Sapphire chuckle behind her. "No, I'm just curious. He already told me there were a few women he had slept with in the Guild."

"Yes, just a few girls who are no longer around. Vex would break his fingers had he tried anything with her, and Tonilia is with Vekel. Plus, Delvin is sweet on Vex, but she would never go for Delvin being old enough to be her father and all. So, you are safe from a jealous dagger in your back."

"How did you get into the Guild, Sapphire?" Loria asked, wanting to change the subject away from her and Brynjolf.

Sapphire was quiet for a while, her mood shifting. "Well, after I was tossed around like a piece of meat and killed the bandits. I guess word got around of the slaughter and...impressed some people. Those people were the Dark Brotherhood. They were interested how I got close to gaining their trust and killed my rapists—felt I would be useful. Honestly, an assassin really isn't me. I had to kill because I had no choice. After spending time with the Brotherhood, I just couldn't really stomach it. I had met Delvin once in a while when he visited the Brotherhood, still having close ties with Astrid. I guess he must have said something to Brynjolf, or perhaps Astrid wanted to get rid of me; either way, Brynjolf recruited me. I was just shy of seventeen Winters when I joined the Guild, and I've been a thief ever since."

It was good Loria was getting to know the Guild people, knowing who she could trust or who she couldn't. So far, everyone there just wanted to make some gold and do their own thing. There didn't seem to be anyone involved on the inside hurting the Guild. All their problems must be rooted with Karliah. It's the only reasonable explanation.

Loria and Sapphire went straight to work after arriving in Windhelm. After talking to Torsten Cruel-Sea, it turns out a group of thieves stole an amulet off of his daughter, Fjoti, who had been murdered. Torsten requested Loria to retrieve the amulet. Apparently, he found out who her murderer was and killed him. Information prided out of his daughter's murder produced a name, Niranye.

After some forceful persuasion, Niranye, a vendor in Windhelm, apparently used to be a fence for the Thieves Guild but had been forced to work with the new Guild rising in the area. She was forced to fence with a group called Summerset Shadows, whose leader was named Linwe, a group of Altmer who don't just thieve but steal from the dead. They were just glorified, grave robbers. She promised to fence once again for the Thieves Guild if Loria and Sapphire would get rid of the competing Guild.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Sapphire? It may require us to commit some killing. We may have to protect ourselves."

"I will kill if I have to. It was the sneaking and killing of people because we were paid to, regardless of innocence, that bothered me while I was with the Brotherhood."

"OK, if you're sure. Thanks for coming with me. It may be hard to deal with them alone."

"I doubt it. We all know how well you handled the Goldenglow job, Tal," Sapphire said, shrugging. "I had nothing else to do. At least, when this is done, Delvin will be shittin' kittens when he finds out we got a new fence in Windhelm. It looks like our luck is finally starting to turn."

The Summerset Shadows' hideout was a cave nestled in the mountains a few miles South West from Windhelm, the two women tucked away behind a large boulder, scoping the area out. Three Altmer guarding the place stood out like sore thumbs in their dark armor against the snow's white.

"We can just pluck these assholes off with arrows," Sapphire suggested. 

"Sounds good."

Once the area was clear, the two thieves made their way inside the cave, silently taking out sentries. The cave wasn't just a cave, there was a doorway to an old fort tucked away inside. The stone structure was crumbling, but Loria could see why it made the perfect hideout. Any idiot to stumble into the place could have been quickly taken out by the sentries before they even reached the door. But the Summerset Shadows were not ready for Loria and Sapphire.

The evening was late, the fort quiet, so the two women snuck in, going room to room clearing it out. Loria didn't account for Altmer's exceptional hearing because the two women were soon discovered, and a battle ensued, trying to swarm and overwhelm the female thieves. 

Sapphire, daggers drawn, danced and dodged out of the way as she took out several of the imposter thieves, while Loria did the same, both being forced to fight in tight quarters. Loria and Sapphire, out of breath, covered in blood, managed to take out all the elves but were soon face to face with one more, who must have been their leader. 

"Give us Fjoti's amulet, and we will let you live," Loria demanded. 

"You just killed my entire Guild! Do you have any idea how hard it was to recruit capable thieves? And you expect me to just hand over everything I worked for?" Linwe yelled, daggers drawn.

"They clearly weren't that capable since they are all dead," Sapphire said.

"You will have to pry it off my…" Linwe didn't get a chance to finish before dropping to the ground, a dagger protruding from his skull.

"Nice shot, Saph," Loria said.

"Whatever, he was an asshole who talked too much," she replied, digging in his pockets and finally finding Fjoti's amulet. "Dad will be pleased."

"Let's get cleaned up in the river out there, wash some of this blood, and get to Candlehearth Hall for some food and refreshments," Loria said, pocketing the amulet Sapphire handed her.

Loria yawned and stretched, getting ready for bed. Sapphire was already in her room, probably sleeping already. They would head out in the morning back to Riften with the excellent news to Delvin. Not only did they have a new fence, but they had the backing of Torsten Cruel-Sea should the Guild need it.

It felt good to be back to her old face once more. It was the longest she had ever used a disguise, and it was getting old, wanting to be her old self, but at least she got a break now and then. 

Brushing out her now clean hair, she thought more on Brynjolf. She wanted to see him more, and there was no reason why she should reveal herself to him. Loria could just go back to Cyrodiil when she killed Karliah, the Guild would be back to normal, and no one would have need of her. There was no reason for her to stay. That also meant that she couldn't get too serious with him. But there was a part of her that wanted him to know she was Loria and that she still thought about him all those years she was gone, and that she was sorry she ran from him, not telling him why she had to go.

"Tal, do you have a brush I can…" Sapphire barged into Loria's room and stared in shock at the dark-haired woman, wondering for a second if she just barged into the wrong room. Her brown hair was still wet from her bath, blue eyes wide. Looking at the door, she saw the number there and knew for certain it was Talia's room. "Who the fuck are you, and where is Talia? I know, for a fact, this is her room."

"Shit…" Loria whispered, a large knot of fear formed in the pit of her stomach. She had forgotten to lock the door, not thinking Sapphire would just bar

"Tell me now, or I will gut you!" Sapphire demanded, drawing her dagger.

"Stop! It's me, Saph. I'm Talia...well, sort of."

"Bullshit! I can see! I have eyes! You do not have red hair."

Loria waved a glowing hand around her face, Sapphire's eyes grew wide at seeing the dark-haired woman shapeshift into Talia, her new friend. "I don't understand. You better speak now and tell me what the fuck is going on!" she yelled, not putting away her dagger and losing trust for Talia.

Loria sighed, knowing there was no way to talk herself out of this one. She had no choice but, to tell the truth, and hope that Sapphire still wasn’t pissed off enough to try to kill her. "Sit down, put away the dagger, and I will tell you everything."

Sapphire sat down but still held her dagger out. "I'm not putting this away until I hear why you are masquerading as someone else in the Guild."

Casting another glowing hand on her face, preferring to be her old self, her hair turned black once more, and her eyes nearly glowed in blacks and purples, swirling like the night sky.

"I'm going to make this simple, then we can talk about the details. I am Gallus' daughter. Do you know who Gallus was?"

"Gallus is dead, he was the former Guild Master."

"Yes, and he was my father, brutally murdered by Karliah, his lover…"

Sapphire didn't put down her dagger, but it eased a bit as she took in the bit of news the woman was telling her. "I heard Gallus had a daughter, that Mercer spent quite a bit of time hunting her down to bring her back to the Guild."

That bit of news surprised Loria that Mercer had been looking for her. She then wondered if Brynjolf had as well or if he just let her go. "I...I didn't know that. I had to run because my father worried for my life. I was only ten Winters, and we had this strange talk, I can barely remember the conversation. I just remember that he told me to run should anything ever happen to him with instructions on what to do.

And run I did when Brynjolf, who had been living with us, came to tell me the news my father had died. I fled to the border of Cyrodiil, where I met Talia, the current Guild Master in the Imperial City. It is her appearance I borrowed to come back to Riften…"

"So, you must be Loria, then."

"I am. Look, I'm not a harm to the Guild, Saph."

"That has yet to be seen. Why did you come back?"

"The Guild in the Imperial City was getting a lot of recruits from Riften with news that the Guild here was struggling, no longer what it once was. I wanted to find out why, but that was only part of it. I left a man behind who was getting too… well, attached. I was more likely running from him, and the Guild in Riften was a good excuse as any to leave. But I'm here to help and make what the Guild used to be when my father ran things. Now that I know Karliah is involved, I can’t reveal myself. I will lose my advantage.

"You said Bryn used to live with you and Gallus? He never mentioned anything about that before."

"Bryn has become somewhat of a person who keeps things... information about himself close. Yes, my father took care of Brynjolf, training him all he knew. I grew up with him."

Sapphire's dagger was now on the table, but her eyes narrowed at the dark woman before her. "Bryn likes you. Do you have any idea what this will do to him if he finds out you have been hiding yourself? Because if you hurt him…" Sapphire left the rest unfinished.

"I don't plan on hurting him, Saph. But I have to maintain this disguise longer. I do plan on telling him, but not yet." Loria realized her plan to go back to Cyrodiil and not tell Bryn anything went out the window with Sapphire’s discovery. "I have to get to the bottom of Karliah. She's the very reason the Guild is suffering right now. I need to get close to her, to find a way, and I can't do that as Loria. She killed my father, Saph. Please, do not tell Bryn anything, not yet."

"Alright, I will keep your secret for now. But you better tell him before he gets in too deep with you."

"Thank you very much for this. I will tell him, but not to worry. He won't get too deep with me. Neither of us does long-term relationships."

"If you say so."

"Look, Saph, there's something else you should know about me since I'm telling you everything anyway. I'm not only Gallus' daughter, but I'm also Nocturnal's child…"

Sapphire barked out a laugh from the ridiculousness of that information Loria provided her. "Nocturnal? That's impossible."

"It's not impossible. I am proof of that. I don't know how exactly I came to be, my father wasn't very forthcoming about that, but he still had to tell me what I was because of my strange powers."

Sapphire was no longer laughing as she watched in shock as Loria turned into this black smoke, fog-like substance and reappear. "I become a shadow, like Nocturnal, though I'm not a full shadow like her."

"Well, that could have been useful today," she complained.

"It could have, but then I would have been forced to reveal myself," Loria explained. 

"So how do you keep up the appearance of Talia? I have never seen magic like that."

"Nocturnal can change into anyone she wishes to. I can only partially do that. I can change my face, hair, and eyes. It took years of practice, but it is hard to maintain for prolonged periods. I have an enchanted ring that maintains the alteration while I sleep. You caught me resting my magic, which is why I look as I do."

Sapphire was now interested in all Loria could do, "Can you imagine all you can do with that power of yours?"

Loria genuinely laughed out, "Yes, I'm aware of the opportunities to be had. I used them regularly for the Thieves Guild. How do you think I handled Goldenglow? I used my shadow to move silently and kill all the mercenaries. They really didn't stand a chance."

"Alright,  _ Talia _ , I will keep your secret for now. I do hope you stay once you find Karliah. We could use you. I'm off to bed, it's nearly two in the morning."

"Saph? Thank you for this. I appreciate you keeping my secret. I know it wasn't an easy decision for you, wanting to protect your family. They are my family too, they just don't know it yet."

"Just don't make me regret it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: An old enemy and a new enemy


	23. To Rid of One's Enemies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mercer is back and finds outs Karliah is involved in the Guild takedown. He forces Talia (Loria) to go with him to face Karliah, but other machinations are at play.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some NSFW content.

Loria and Sapphire waltzed into the Ragged Flagon later in the evening the following day to give Delvin the details of their trip, and give him the good news that they now had the support and a fence in Windhelm. It was a significant breakthrough in the bad luck that had been spreading through the Guild.

After making Delvin a happy man, Loria looked around for Brynjolf. He was usually in the Flagon in the evenings drinking, but he wasn't there. It was just as well. She was tired anyway as she headed to bed. "We need to do this again," she said, giving Sapphire a sisterly hug.

"Yes, it was interesting," Sapphire replied, hugging back, referring to her discovery the night before.

"Is that how it is? That's why you refuse me at every turn," Vipir said, drunk and watching the two women hug.

"What are you on about, Vipir?" Sapphire asked. 

"Are you two together? You like women?"

"Will it make you feel better about your sexual inadequacies? You're an idiot. Can't two friends hug without it turning sexual?" Sapphire spat.

"Vipir, she refused you. Get over it. That doesn't automatically make her like women to make you feel better about your bruised ego."

"Stupid cows…" he muttered as the two women walked away.

Sapphire headed to her bed and Loria to hers when she saw Brynjolf staring at the Guild's ledger on the desk, standing in Mercer's usual spot. His red hair falling in his face, watching him tuck it behind his ears so he could read the book in front of him. Brynjolf looked up as soon as he sensed her presence. A small smile played his lips, but it was gone just as quickly. He nodded his head over towards his room, indicating he wanted to meet her there.

Loria nodded, dropped her belongings on her bed, and headed to meet him. As she rounded the corner, she found him leaning against the stone wall, arms folded, smirk on his face. "Nice to see you back, lass."

She cocked an eyebrow, wondering what this was all about. "Uhm, nice to be back? I wasn’t gone very long."

Without moving from his spot, he reached out and pulled her into him, kissing her.

"Mmm, you know, despite our hidden dark corners, Sapphire and Delvin know what we have done."

Brynjolf's face changed from pleased to shocked by the news. The abrupt change was almost comical. "How did they…"

"They are observant, Bryn," she said, shrugging. "They said they would keep our little secret."

"Good. Share my bed tonight," he said.

"Did you not just hear what I said?"

"I did, and I guess I don't really care. So is that a yes or a no, lass?"

"Fine, but hands to yourself. I need to sleep. It's been a long trip," Loria said, yawning as if proving her point.

"I make no promises."

While Brynjolf made no promises that he wouldn't try to have sex, all he did was kiss her and hold her close, his stomach pressed against her back, arm wrapped around her. Despite them being naked, he left her alone. Loria enjoyed the feel of his warm body behind her, feeling things stir between her legs, but she didn't lie when she told him she was tired. As she dozed off, she wondered why she could sleep like this with Brynjolf through an entire night and struggle with it in her past relationships. She didn't want to think too deeply about it, so she pushed it aside and finally dozed off.

Loria woke up the next morning, their bodies tangled. Raising her head, she could see he was already awake, unmoving, probably not wanting to wake her. Pushing herself up to get out of bed, he pulled her back down into him. "Not yet."

"We need to talk to Mercer, Bryn unless you've already told him what happened in Solitude."

"I have not seen him nor told him yet. It can wait a few more minutes."

What happened to Brynjolf's desire for revenge against Karliah? He now seemed more focused on her, wondering why the change. She wondered why it appeared he wanted her more than he previously let on as he kissed her.

"Oh, I know where this is going... You men and morning sex," she laughed and pulled away.

"I was patient last night, lass. Don't deny me now. You're well-rested."

"I may be well-rested, but if the last time is anything to judge by, I will be knocked out the rest of the day. I could barely move the last time," Loria said, laughing again, struggling to leave.

"We will keep it simple," Brynjolf explained, pressing kisses on her jaw as a hand trailed down her legs, slipping fingers into her folds, pleased that she quickly got wet for him. 

Loria couldn't stop herself had she tried, her legs spreading for him to give his hand better access, a thumb rubbing on her bud. He pressed kisses along her face, to her neck and ears. "Sit on me," he whispered.

"Oh, I see. You want the morning sex, but don't want to work for it. I see what you're doing," she teased, but climbed on top of him, slipping his hardness inside of her as she relaxed onto him.

"You have me all figured out, lass..." he groaned, feeling her warmth envelop him. 

"It's...mmmm. It's not...hard to...do," Loria panted as she rolled her hips back and forth.

Brynjolf reached to cup and knead her breasts as they swayed to her movements, watching her face, her eyes closed, feeling him deep inside her. He loved that little bite she did to her bottom lip as he hit her just right, though she was doing all the work. He knew women enjoyed being on top, but he had no plans to make her do it all herself. Brynjolf just wanted to watch her for a while, enjoying her wrapped around him.

Talia opened her eyes, looking down at him as her red hair spilled in her face, blocking his view. Instead, he stopped his attention to one of her breasts, moving his hand down, rubbing a thumb on her sensitive bundle of nerves. Brynjolf wanted her to explode around him. The pulsating tightness was something he desired nearly as much as exploding in orgasm himself. Brynjolf always knew when a woman was near, there were small and subtle hints, a clench here or there, the build-up of heat and wetness, periodically holding their breath.

Between Brynjolf's touches and his hitting that spot deep inside, she quickly came, trying to stifle moans escaping her lips too loudly. As her pulses slowed down, he pulled her body down tightly pressed against his chest as he quickly thrust into her. He didn't want to drag out the morning and promptly orgasmed in her, feeling her hot and panting breath in his neck. He could feel Talia's body relax on his, unmoving other than her heartbeat against him, knowing she could feel his as well.

"OK, I have to admit, that's a pretty good way to wake up," she said, her voice muffled in his neck.

"See, then we will need to do this more often." 

Loria gave him a smile but didn't say anything. Things were progressing quickly between them, and she wasn't sure she was going to enjoy the speed. There were too many variables, unknowns, not to mention her lies about who she really was. If she could be serious with anyone, it would probably be Brynjolf, relating to him so well and knowing him from her youth. But that didn't stop her fears either. There was always that residual tension she got when she felt things were becoming too serious with a partner, that nearly instinctual desire to flee. She tried to hold back that fear as much as she could, not ready to leave, if ever. Loria was still debating on what she wanted to do after she found Karliah.

"We better get dressed and talk to Mercer. If we delay, he will have our heads on a platter," Loria said, getting off of Brynolf to get dressed. "I still have to meet with Maven and let her know how the Honningbrew job went."

"You're right," Brynjolf sighed and got up himself, throwing breeches on.

Loria did her best to clean up and not look like she just had sex, but she knew that many of the thieves were observant, wondering why she was even bothering to maintain appearances. As Brynjolf got dressed, Loria snuck out of his room, peeking around the corner to make sure no one was looking and walked into the Cistern. 

"Talia!" yelled Mercer, seeing her come out of Brynjolf’s room and enjoyed watching her jump out of her skin. "You're back. Did Gulum-Ei give up any information on our buyer?"

"Should we wait for Brynjolf? He was…"

"Spit it fucking out...now."

Playing dumb, she informed him that some woman named Karliah was behind the two purchases. She didn't want to lead Mercer into believing she would even know who Karliah was.

Mercer looked down at the desk he, leaning on it, his face a mask, but there was a hint of anger in his eyes. "No, it... it can't be. I haven't heard that name in decades. This is grave news; indeed, she's someone I hoped to never cross paths with again."

"Uhm, Gulum-Ei informed me she was a murderer or something?"

Mercer looked at Talia sharply, wondering how much she really knew and why she was playing dumb. He didn't trust her the day she came to the Guild, now he was outright suspicious. He could tell Talia was lying, staring at her, watching her try not to fidget under his scrutiny. He had never seen her before and couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why she was lying about this and wondered what she was lying about exactly. Was Talia involved with Karliah? Had she infiltrated the Guild to stop him? Was her lie something more innocent? Mercer couldn't figure it out. One thing he knew for sure was he had to get rid of the woman. He couldn't risk it. He couldn't risk that she may be involved with Karliah and try to usurp his leadership and plans. She had to die.

"Karliah destroyed everything this Guild stood for. She murdered my predecessor in cold blood and betrayed the Guild. After we discovered what she'd done, we spent months trying to track her down, but she just vanished."

Loria could barely control her discomfort at the older man staring at her, wondering why he was doing so, worried he caught onto her lie. She desperately wanted to look around for Brynjolf, who had yet to make an appearance, but she controlled herself. "So why do you think she has returned?" she asked, continuing to play ignorant.

"Karliah and I were like partners. I went with her to every heist. We watched each other's backs. I know her techniques, her skills. If she kills me, there'll be no one left that could possibly catch her. If only we knew where she was..."

Now Loria knew Mercer was lying, and she wondered why. She knew when she was a child, Mercer spent most of his time in the Cistern working as a stand-in leader for her father. She didn't remember Mercer going off with Karliah on jobs. She didn't know why he would lie about such a thing, sewing small doubts about Karliah. "Gulum-Ei told me she could be found, well sort of. He said, and I quote, 'Where the end began.'"

Mercer wanted to smile, but he held back. Karliah wanted him to find her then, and he would oblige her and bring Talia with him. It would be the perfect place to get rid of the recruit and out of his hair. "There's only one place that could be. The place where she murdered Gallus... a ruin called Snow Veil Sanctum. We have to go out there before she disappears again." 

_We? Why would he want to bring me?_ "With all due respect, but why me? I'm a nobody, a recruit."

"You're no recruit. You found out the person who is the very cause of the Guild's problems. You deserve to see this through to the end. I can finally get rid of Karliah. So, yes, you are going, and I'm going with you, and together we're going to kill her. Prepare yourself and meet me at the ruins as soon as you can. We can't let her slip through our fingers." 

Loria was feeling intense apprehension, and she wasn't sure it had to do with Mercer or finally getting her hands around Karliah's throat. Despite her nerves, she wanted to press Mercer for more information on Karliah. The only thing she knew about the Dunmer was from her childhood. "What else can you tell me about Karliah, so I know what to expect, get a sense of the woman."

"She was a stubborn Dunmer… always had to do everything her way. But she was the best… bringing in more coin a month than some heists in a year. Gallus trusted her too much, and I let her get too close," Mercer effortlessly lied, having told this story before.

"Too close? Did they have a relationship or something?" Loria asked, though she already knew they did. It was no secret, and that Karliah was living with Gallus in his house.

"If you want to call it that, yes. Me? I think she was softening him for the kill. Gallus would call her his 'little nightingale.' He was absolutely smitten by her."

Loria reflected back to her past, to her nine, ten Winters old mind trying to remember how her father and Karliah were around each other. All that she could remember was they seemed to be happy, but she was too young to see nuances like trickery and betrayals. "Why do you think she killed him?"

"Greed? Jealousy? Spite? All of the above. Gallus sure did love to sleep around with people on the side. Who can say what drove her to such an iniquitous act? One thing's certain, I intend to find out before she draws her last breath."

Loria sucked in her anger, bristling inside, with Mercer accusing her father of being a cheater and left to her bed and started to pack up once more. She decided she wasn't going to bother talking to Maven. They already knew who the culprit was, and if she could put a stop to Karliah, then Maven would have no more troubles. 

"Where were you?!" Loria demanded when she finally saw Brynjolf heading in her direction, unhappy she had to deal with that uncomfortable moment alone with Mercer.

"I had to get dressed, cleaned up, and go to the bathroom. Is that OK with you?" his eyes narrowing at her sudden outburst.

"Took you long enough. I had to deal with Mercer alone and…" she shook her head. It wasn't Brynjolf's fault. Mercer forced it out of her. "Nothing. Yeah, it's OK...sorry. It was just...really uncomfortable, and I just wished you were there when I told him about Karliah."

"I see, so is that why you're packing? Does Mercer know where she is?" Brynjolf asked, suddenly anxious. "If she's been found, I need to go. I need to go with you."

"Not this time. Mercer has ordered me to go with him. Well, I'm to meet him there. That means you have to stay and be in charge. Trust me when I tell you, I would rather be going with you." It wasn't because she was nervous around Mercer or even that she wanted Brynjolf close to her, but it was something Brynjolf and she needed to do together. They should be hunting the woman who killed her father as Loria and Brynjolf. He should be there with her, but it was not to be.

Loria decided when she returned, and Karliah was dead, she would finally come clean to Brynjolf. He deserved that much. Maybe he wouldn't hate her too much if he realized Loria killed their enemy. If he hated her, well, she could hardly blame him. It was a risk she decided to take.

She didn't know what possessed her, why she did it, but she grabbed Brynjolf's face with two hands and kissed him in the middle of the Cistern, not caring who saw it. It may be her last kiss with him, but he didn't seem to mind as he returned it, melting into her. His response was very telling, and very concerning for the simple fact that he was definitely going to hate her when she returned with the truth.

Nebula was left behind in the Windhelm Stables, not wanting to leave her to the wolves as she walked to the ruins, not too far from the old stone city. Loria made sure to bundle up against the blustery wind, the snow coming down almost like dust; it was so cold. 

Her face and hair were Loria's to give her magic a rest and save her energy if she needed it. She was covered, so before she met up with Mercer, she would change back to Talia. 

She was shivering by the time she reached the ruins, no amount of fur was going to warm her as a fire would, but there was no time. Mercer could be seen in the distance waiting for her. Loria cast her spell, and she was Talia once more, placing her enchanted ring on her finger to hold it, which was another excellent way to conserve her Magicka.

"Good, you're finally here. I've scouted the ruins, and I'm certain Karliah is still inside," Mercer said as soon as Talia reached him, impatient to get to killing the woman and Karliah. With them out of the way, no one could stop him, having everyone else wrapped around his finger, especially Brynjolf. The man was supposed to be Gallus' apprentice, intelligent, but he was easily manipulated in his grief, never once doubting Mercer.

Though it was a good day for Mercer when he won the Guild's war and leadership, he could never find Loria. He had looked for her only to find no trace of the girl, wanting to kill her and sever all ties to Gallus once and for all. He didn't want to risk her coming after him eventually, but after twenty-five years, she would have done so by now if she wanted revenge.

"Is she here?"

"I haven't seen her, but I found her horse. Don't worry, I've taken care of it... she won't be using it to escape. Let's get moving, I want to catch her inside while she's distracted. Take the lead."

"Me? Why do you want me to lead?" Loria asked, genuinely surprised. 

The man stood close and got in her face, close enough to feel his hot breath coming off as if he were breathing out smoke. "I'm sorry, I was under the impression I was in charge. You're leading, and I'm following. Does that seem clear to you?" 

"Crystal," she said, walking towards the ruins. Looking around the ancient doors, there was no way she could open it despite her ability to break-in to just about anything. "It's locked, and I can't open it."

"They say these ancient Nordic burial mounds are sometimes impenetrable. This one doesn't look too difficult. Quite simple, really, I don't know what the fuss is about these locks. All it takes is a bit of know-how and a lot of skill. That should do it. After you."

Loria rolled her eyes at the man's back. He was such an arrogant asshole, and she couldn't figure out for the life of her how her father could be such good friends with him. Perhaps he wasn't always such. "How did m...Gallus die?" she asked, almost slipping out he was her father before she caught herself.

"Twenty-five years ago, I was standing outside these very same ruins. Gallus told me to meet here, but he wouldn't say why. When I arrived, Gallus stepped from the shadows. Before he uttered a sound, an arrow pierced his throat. Before I could even draw my blade, her second arrow found its mark in my chest."

"Karliah was a master marksman, and her greatest weapon was the element of surprise. I was lucky... she missed my heart by mere inches. I staggered away from the ruins, and my vision began to blur. It's then that I realized the bitch had poisoned her arrows."

 _Why is he lying?_ That was not the story that was told to her by Brynjolf. Mercer, at the time, claimed they fought after she killed Gallus. He didn't mention anything about arrows. Or perhaps the man lied to Brynjolf when he told his story. Either way, Mercer was a liar about what really happened, sewing further doubts in her mind. 

"What of...Gallus?" Loria wasn't sure she wanted to know if he would tell her the truth, she had to know what happened to her father. If this was her father's tomb, she wanted to be prepared for any emotions that would come.

"The last thing I saw was Karliah dumping his body into an opening atop the ruins, an unceremonious end for a remarkable man. To this day, I've regretted allowing her to escape, even if it meant I had died trying. I owed Gallus that much."

Loria could feel the lump in her throat build at how her father's last minutes were treated. She knew he was murdered, but never really knew exactly how. 

"There, let's go," Mercer said, standing aside to let her in first. "I want her head on a mantle."

The pain and loss of her father were starting to feel raw all over again. She had to rein it all in, push it way down, lest she unintentionally showed her hand. "Right," she said, walking forward, drawing her daggers. She didn't like the man behind her, but she had little choice.

It was the stench that hit her first. It wasn't as if she spent a lot of time in ruins, preferring city life. Loria knew people made their living off of the wealth that could be found in the tombs, but give her a mansion in the city any day before setting foot in a place of death. 

The walk through the ruins was slow, and she kept expecting to run into draugr that were known to walk restlessly in many ruins across Tamriel. The place was eerily silent and no sign of draugr, the only sound coming from their boots scraping old stone. After nearly thirty minutes of walking with nothing standing in their way, they came across a strange door Loria had never seen before. It was circular with animals labeled on each ring, clearly a puzzle of some sort.

Mercer blew past Loria, looking closely at the door. "Ah, it's one of the infamous Nordic puzzle doors. How quaint. Without the matching claw, they're normally impossible to open. And since I'm certain Karliah already did away with it, we're on our own. Fortunately, these doors have a weakness if you know how to exploit it. Quite simple, really. Karliah's close. I'm certain of it. Now let's get moving."

If Karliah was inside, at least he could use Talia as a human shield. Karliah could kill the girl, then it would only be him and Karliah to fight. Once the two women were out of his way, he was free to do whatever he wanted. Perhaps he would just clean the Guild out finally and move on, live a life of wealth and luxury, something denied to him, thanks to his asshole father.

Before Loria could look around the cavernous room, she looked down to find an arrow protruding out of her shoulder, vision blurring. She could see herself drop to her knees and fall to the ground as if the ground fell out from under her. Voices were talking in a strange echo. It was as if she were floating out of her body, wondering if this was what it felt like to die. There was no pain, but a strange numbness, unable to move her body, though she could still see, barely. At least she would be with her father soon, wherever he was.

"Do you honestly think your arrow will reach me before my blade finds your heart?" Mercer asked, scoffing.

"Give me a reason to try."

"You're a clever girl, Karliah. Buying Goldenglow Estate and funding Honningbrew Meadery was inspired."

"'To ensure an enemy's defeat, you must first undermine his allies.' It was the first lesson Gallus taught us."

"You always were a quick study."

"Not quick enough, otherwise Gallus would still be alive."

That was when the truth hit Loria, tears slipped out of her eyes. It was Mercer all along who killed her father, but the puzzle pieces fit. She struggled to get up, but her body was unable to move. Karliah must have used some sort of paralysis poison the tip of her arrow. How could she have been so blind? Once the truth came out, everything became clear. Between Mercer's lies and sowing doubts about Karliah, she felt stupid for not seeing it earlier, blinded by her revenge on Karliah.

"Gallus had his wealth, and he had you. All he had to do was look the other way."

"Did you forget your oath we took as Nightingales? Did you expect him to simply ignore your methods?"

"Enough of all this mindless banter! Come on, Karliah. It's time for you and Gallus to become reunited!"

"I'm no fool, Mercer. Crossing blades with you would be a death sentence. But I can promise the next time we meet, it will be your undoing."

 _No, don't go,_ Loria thought in her head, unable to speak, seeing Karliah drink a potion and vanish. Dread formed in the pit of her stomach as she watched Mercer approach her limp body, a smug smile on his face, crouching down in front of her. "How interesting. It appears Gallus' history has repeated itself. Karliah has provided me with the means to be rid of you, and this ancient tomb becomes your final resting place. But do you know what intrigues me the most? The fact that this was all possible because of you. Farewell. I'll be certain to give Brynjolf your regards."

The man stood up, drew his sword, and plunged it into her stomach as she bled out, her world went dark as she thought about her father and Brynjolf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please let us know what you think in the comments <3
> 
> Next: Karliah and Loria reunited.
> 
> I have a new story up... I seriously need the distraction. I've been working very hard on it and it's already become special to me. I hope you check it out. [The Renegade](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26058193)


	24. Restored Faith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loria reveals herself to Karliah to let the woman know she missed and loved her, now believing her innocence. They work together to translate Gallus' journal for proof that Mercer was the murderer. Loria finally gets to say goodbye to her father at his resting place. After almost two weeks of Talia (Loria) missing, he's beside himself with worry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please let us know your thoughts down in the comments <3

The world around her was blurry as if a thin cloth was draped over her eyes. She could see light and shapes, but nothing much else. Her whole body ached, especially her stomach and shoulder, where she had been stabbed and shot. If she were hurting, at least she knew she wasn't dead. She tried to sit up, but her stomach roiled with nausea, probably from the poison wearing off, but she was unable to contain it as she vomited in the snow.

"Easy, easy. Don't get up so quickly. How are you feeling?" said the soft voice of the woman in front of her.

"You shot me, Karliah," was all Loria could get out as she tried to stand on wobbly legs. She struggled, but made it to the smaller woman and pulled her in for an embrace, suddenly sobbing. Sobbing from realizing Karliah didn't kill her father, to Mercer's betrayal and trying to kill her, finally to reuniting with the Dunmer woman. All these emotions stormed through Loria, and she could hold back no longer.

Karliah was taken by surprise by the embrace and weeping woman, not knowing who she was. Perhaps she was just upset by all that had happened. "No, I saved your life. My arrow was tipped with a unique paralytic poison. It slowed your heart and kept you from bleeding out. Had I intended to kill you, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

Loria let herself be seated in front of the fire, shivering and realizing how cold she was. She realized then Karliah had no idea who she was. She pulled off her enchanted ring and released the magic, revealing who she really was. 

Karliah watched in shock as the lovely red-headed woman turned into someone completely different. The new woman before her looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't point her finger at who she was. It was dark, and the only light was the fire, but the girl was there somewhere in the back of her brain, lost in memories and Karliah couldn't find that thread to pull. "Why do you look so familiar?"

"It's me, Karliah. I'm Loria... Gallus' daughter."

"What?! Loria?" Karliah was stunned for a moment, but what the girl was telling her rang true. She sat in front of the black-haired woman, pulled her face to the fire, and looked into her eyes. Sure enough, the very night sky swirling there. No one else would have eyes like Loria's. 

"By all the Gods, Loria. My girl!" It was Karliah's turn to weep, well, they cried together. "Where have you been, sweetheart! I have looked for you."

"I thought you killed Father. They told me you killed him. I... I hated you for so long. Papa told me to run if anything happened to him. He made me swear that I would flee, so I ran. He sent me to Cyrodiil to live with a friend of his who took care of me. I have been working for the Thieves Guild in the Imperial City for the past twenty-five years."

"I looked for you there. I thought you might have returned to Gallus' home city. I couldn't find you anywhere. I even went to the Thieves Guild, but all denied you living there. I didn't tell them who I was, only I was looking for you. They did a great job of protecting you. I knew others would think I killed him, so I didn't reveal myself; otherwise, they would have killed me," Karliah explained.

"You looked for me?"

"Yes, I was so worried about you. I heard you ran, but I wasn't able to return to Riften, knowing Mercer had killed your father and blamed me for his murder. How did you end up back here and with Mercer? Why are you disguised as another woman? What of Brynjolf? Does he know who you are?"

Loria looked at the woman who was once her father's lover and pulled her in for another embrace, the relief she felt that Karliah didn't kill her father was overwhelming. "There were rumors that my father's Guild was floundering. I came up to find out what was going on and to maybe help get it back on its feet, but I didn't want anyone to know who I was until I knew for sure what was going on.

A for Brynjolf, well, I have made a right mess of things. He does not... he does not know who I am. I... I am struggling with it. I want to, but I don't want to at the same time. He's going to hate me for my trickery."

"Oh, he needs to know, sweetheart. I know he was so worried about you."

"There's a problem with that... uhm, well... we, uhm... are together. That was a bad idea, wasn't it?"

"You are together? As in lovers? Oh, honey, yes, that probably wasn't the best idea, especially since he doesn't know who you really are," she chastised a bit, holding Loria's hands.

The weight of what Loria had done hit her like a ton of bricks. She knew Brynjolf would hate her, but that didn't stop her from making love to him. "I know... I... we couldn't help ourselves. I struggled so long with relationships after my father died, thinking his lover, you, did it. Then comes Brynjolf, who knew exactly what that was like. We just have so much in common, and we relate to each so well it... it was hard to resist. I told myself that no matter what happens after I found you, I would tell him the truth. We need to go back, Karliah! We should go now!" 

Loria tried to stand once more but nearly fell over. She knew Karliah gave her some healing potions, but it wasn't enough. She ran a healing spell all over her body until she felt no more pain and almost normal.

"We can't, not yet," Karliah insisted. "I have Gallus' journal, but…"

"You have it! I went back to the old house looking for it, but it was nowhere to be found. No wonder."

"Yes, he had it on him when he was… I took it, and a friend and I buried him. We will go to his gravesite tomorrow if you want to see where it is."

"I... yes, I would like that. Oh, damn! I have Father’s Falmer language book! I left it back at the Guild... dammit! We can’t get it now. He didn’t finish translating it, but it would have been helpful."

"You have it? That is good to know, but yes, not helpful if it’s at the Guild. I know Gallus has the truth about what happened to him or what was going on. You see, Mercer was stealing from the Guild, and for a long time. Your father was meticulous with record keeping, and it took him a while to find out who was stealing. It took longer because he struggled to believe it was Mercer doing it," Karliah explained, staring at the fire, the bitterness was written all over her face.

"Mercer was in love with your father. I knew it and knew he was jealous of Gallus and I. Your father... Gods, I loved him, but he was blind to Mercer. Most people would move on if love isn't reciprocated, but Mercer's jealousy and hatred grew. Finally, Gallus discovered the truth, and Mercer figured out Gallus was discovering his crimes, so he set a trap for him here and murdered him...stabbed him in the back, giving Gallus no chance to fight back. I saw it, but I was too late. We battled, but the man nearly killed me."

Loria's tears spilled down her cheeks, listening to Karliah's story, seeing her weep as well, her emotions raw all over again. "I'm so sorry I believed you could do such a thing. I...I should have known. I remember you two loving each other."

"You were just a little girl, Loria. How could you possibly know?" Karliah explained, grabbed her pack, rummaging in it, pulling out some food for them to both eat.

"So, what do we do now?" Loria asked.

"The poison on that arrow took me a year to perfect; I only had enough for a single shot. All I had hoped was to capture Mercer alive. That was my intent anyway. My purpose was to lure Mercer and take him to the Thieves Guild to answer for his crimes, but he's escaped once more. Dammit! I have your father's journal, but it is written in ancient Falmer. I can't decipher it. I gave it to a mutual friend, Enthir, who had spent some time trying to translate, but he only managed just a bit of it. We will have to find another way, especially now that I don't have Mercer."

"So we have to translate my father's journal, then we can return to the Guild with evidence. Sounds like it's going to take a long time, Karliah."

"I've waited this long…"

"Karliah? Do you know who my mother is?"

The Dunmer woman looked at Gallus' daughter once more, who had turned into a beautiful woman and nodded, "Nocturnal."

"Why did Nocturnal not help my father? Why did she allow him to die?"

"Because she's trapped in her realm. Mercer didn't only steal from the Guild and kill your father, but he took something valuable from Nocturnal. Once it was removed, it sealed her in, and all the sentinels there to guard her are... going crazy, for lack of a better explanation. There isn't anything she can do right now." Karliah explained to Loria about the Nightingales since that was Loria's purpose and how she came to be. She told the girl about the Skeleton Key, it's purpose and uses, along with the dangers of such a tool in the wrong hands.

"So we have to get to Mercer and get this key back as well," Loria nodded. "I feel better knowing my mother is locked away because I called out to her for years with no answers, not knowing how to reach her. Alright, well, whatever we do from here on out, I am with you."

The two hugged each other for a while, happy to finally be reunited and slept together in Karliah's tent, then the two would head to Winterhold and meet Enthir, and see her father's grave.

After retrieving Nebula from Windhelm that morning, the two women made their way North to Winterhold. The cold was biting, but at least Mundus was bright in the sky, and it wasn't snowing, but the weather so far North could quickly turn for the worse. 

"I buried Gallus just outside of the town of Winterhold, and I try to visit him when I can. I couldn't leave him in those ruins to rot," Karliah said, riding in front of Loria. 

"Thank you for taking care of him, Karl. I still miss him so much, but I sometimes forget what he looked like. It’s frustrating."

"I have a small painting of him. He had it commissioned a long time ago, but I made sure to steal it out of the house before anyone came in to ransack the place. It's yours. The artist did an excellent job with his likeness."

"Thank you, but I can't take it. It's yours. I will just look at it from time to time."

"Nonsense. I've had it long enough. You can keep it to help remember your father. I have a better memory for such things."

Loria felt a love for the woman she thought was long lost. She had spent so much time hating Karliah, but now all she could feel was the love she felt for the woman who was almost a mother to her. Karliah and Talia were both more mothers to Loria than Nocturnal ever was, but at least it eased her mind to know that Nocturnal wasn't merely ignoring her daughter, that's she's trapped. Loria not only had to bring the truth about Mercer to the Guild but free her mother from her captivity.

It was dusk by the time they reached Gallus' gravesite. The area was tucked away between bare trees in the snow, a stone marker the only indication that anyone was buried there. The epitaph read, 'Walk in the Shadows, my Love.' Loria sat on his grave, reached out to touch the stone and wept. Her grief renewed with everything that had happened recently, her emotions raw. The pain restored, knowing she would never see her father again. Never to know what it was like to be a family except for those short ten years.

Karliah stepped away to allow Loria to talk to her father, if she wished, to give the girl privacy. 

"I did it, Papa. I did all that you asked of me. I ran, and I am safe. Talia took good care of me as any mother would. I have come home, and I'm going to restore your beloved Guild to its former glory, which I promise. I also vow that Mercer's days are numbered in this world. He will pay for all he has done. 

Karliah and I have finally been reunited, and I'm glad of it, hating her for so long, thinking she killed you. It has restored my faith in love. I was so afraid of it for so long, now I know that Karliah still loves you after all these years and has been working to right wrongs all in the name of love. I feel this heavy weight lift off of my shoulders, but I wish I could have known you more. I promise to return as often as I can, Papa. I love you."

Wiping away her tears, she let Karliah have her say with Gallus, and the two women headed out to the Frozen Hearth in Winterhold for dinner and to meet Enthir, who hung out at the Inn on a nightly basis.

The Bosmer was sipping his mug of mead when he saw Karliah come in with a young woman. He knew the relief on his face was evident, glad she was alive after confronting Mercer, looking no worse for wear. He hoped it was all finally done after all these years. "So, it's over," Enthir said to Karliah.

"I'm afraid not, Enthir. Mercer got away," she breathed out, feeling defeated. "But I didn't come away empty-handed. Look who I have found after all these years in the most unlikely of places. The very girl I have been searching for for years."

"Loria?" he asked, knowing the girl couldn't be anyone else since Karliah searched after only one girl that he knew of.

Loria grabbed the Bosmer's hand he offered to shake, his light brown mohawk falling limply to one side after if were too tired to stand up. Perhaps the man preferred it that way. "Hello, yes, I'm Loria, Gallus' daughter. I heard that you and my father were friends."

"Indeed, good friends, along with Karliah here. She came to me after your father was...well, you already know what happened—no need to talk about it. I'm happy that you are alive and well. I never knew you as a child, but your father talked about you frequently and with a lot of love."

Loria felt her eyes water with Enthirs words about her father, pleased that her father loved her as much as she remembered. "Thank you for your kind words, Enthir. It is nice to meet you." 

"Karliah and I have spent years researching Gallus' journal, trying to crack his code. I was studying ancient Falmer, but your father seemed much more adapted to it than I. He should have been a researcher instead. Gallus was quite brilliant."

"We have no choice now but to find another way, Enthir. Mercer escaped, and I have to have some sort of evidence to prove to the Guild what happened," Karliah said, almost pleading Enthir had the answer.

"You are in luck! I have recently received word from a contact in Markarth. Apparently, there is an Altmer by the name of Calcelmo, the new Court Wizard. I sent out word to several contacts to see if they could find anyone who knew about Ancient Falmer. The Mer has been digging in the old Dwemer ruins there and as a side hobby, studies Ancient Falmer language. Apparently, he stumbled onto a site that had a large ancient tablet that he had fully translated. He's an expert on many things, Falmer language being one of them," Enthir explained.

"Oh, that is indeed good news, Enthir," Karliah exclaimed. 

"That's going to take so long!" Loria exclaimed. "But at least there is a chance now to get my father's journal deciphered. I just hope it won't be too late by the time we reach back to the Guild, that Mercer hasn't either destroyed them or turned them all against us."

"Yes, but we have no choice. We cannot return until we have proof. I don't think Mercer will destroy the Guild, he will take all that he wants and run now. He's not going to risk losing his wealth and everything he has stolen since he didn't manage to kill me," Karliah explained.

"So, we are off to Markarth then…"

"Yes, we will head out in the morning. In the meantime, we should all catch up and have a couple of drinks to enjoy this happy reunion."

The city of Markarth gleamed in the distance against the late afternoon light of Mundus, reflecting off the white stone and gold metal. It looked like a diamond in the rough against the craggy mountains and half-dead flora. The only thing really growing in the area was juniper and grasses, not having decent soil to grow much else, though some villages and farms tried.

The two women had a relatively calm journey, catching up with their lives, laughing, feeling like the years were nothing as they quickly established their old bonds. The only exciting thing in their travels was seeing a dragon flying around a mountainside, grateful it wasn't close by. While terrifying, the dragons were no longer legends, they were fascinating to watch too, beautiful in their monstrosity.

After Loria and Karliah stabled their horses outside the city walls of Markarth, Loria busied herself petting and cooing the dog there. He wasn't the prettiest thing, but he was large, his thick dark gray fur was soft. The large pup was entirely too sweet, thinking she would like to have a dog, but she needed one to protect rather than lick everyone.

"He's for sale if you want," the man said, noting the woman's interest in his dog. "I train dogs."

"You train them to lick everyone that comes near it?" Loria scoffed.

"I train them to be friendly with people they sense they can trust. I don't want him attacking anyone that comes up to my dogs. But if someone attacks you, or tries to threaten you, he will protect you with his life. He's a war-dog."

Loria thought about what the Breton man was telling her, debating whether she wanted a dog. She never had one before, but now that she was face to face with the sweet thing and knowing it would defend her, she was thinking about seriously buying him. "What's his name?"

The man shrugged, "Vigilance, but you can call him whatever you want."

"You sure you want a dog, Lor?" Karliah asked.

"I'm seriously thinking about it," she replied.

"I'll sell him to you for 600," the man said.

"I'm sorry, I like Vigilant, but he's too much. If you take him for 450 Septim, I'll take him."

"500," he said, which was his actual price.

"Deal," Loria said, knowing that would be around his actual price. "So Vigilance, are you ready for a new master?"

As if on cue, the dog barked and licked her face, almost like he knew what she was saying. Laughing, Loria petted the dog as she paid the Breton. He handed her some training instructions and cues to give Vigilance.

The two women rented a room at the Silver Blood Inn and sat at a table near the fire and ate their dinner, after dumping their gear in the room. Vigilance, after eating his own dinner, curled up by the fire next to Loria.

"Hopefully, this Calcemo will give us all the information we need, and we can head out right after. I have been gone nearly a week now from the Guild. Brynjolf is probably going to start to worry if I am judging our relationship correctly."

"Have you two gotten that close?" Karliah asked. "I have to admit, I find it a bit strange since you two were nearly brother and sister."

Loria barked out a laugh, "Indeed! It was quite strange at first, but Mercer sent us on a mission that took over a week, and we got to know each other quite well. You know how it goes... one thing led to another."

"I do know that quite well."

"He and I both struggled to have relationships in our lives, so I thought it would be just that, sex and we would be done. But both of us, I think, treat it a bit more seriously than we expected. He cares about me, though I don't really know why, and I care about him. Urgh, he's going to kill me!"

"I'm glad you two connected. Both of you deserve some happiness in your lives. I have kept tabs on Brynjolf over the years, but haven't reached out to him. I know he hates me, believing I killed his mentor and father figure. He won't kill you, not literally anyway, but if I know him, Bryn is going to be angry, perhaps feel betrayed."

"Yeah, I guess anyone would. I feel terrible and wish now I just revealed myself to him. I was a coward."

Karliah nodded that she should have done just that, "Yes, you probably should have, but it's done, and you two will have to deal with it. Just be prepared for him not wanting you, but I hope he will come to understand. Anyway, we better get some rest. We have an early start tomorrow, and hopefully, we can be on our way."

Calcelmo was an asshole, to put it in simple terms, treating the two women more like pesky flies, refusing to allow them to research his work into Ancient Falmer. 

"Now what?" Loria said.

"Now we break in and take it," Karliah said, explaining the obvious.

"Right, of course," she said, smacking her head.

"Calcelmo probably has the whole place guarded well, so we will have to be careful, but between your powers and my skills, we should be able to get by without killing anyone. Look over there," Karliah pointed. "See the guards? That is where we need to go. I already have his key that the idiot just had laying around."

"Nice."

Karliah drank one of her invisibility potions while Loria cloaked herself in shadow as they moved past the guard, sneaking into the Dwemer Museum with the stolen key. The two women hung back to count the guards, seeing as there were only a few, they effortlessly slipped past them to the door on the other side. Karliah picked the lock on the door, and the two entered the next chamber.

Once they were past the main museum, the guards went from Markarth guards to mercenaries, who would be much more alert, but they were no match for Loria and Karliah's stealth skills. It was all well until they came to a research room full of several mercenaries as well as a mage, nose in a book. 

"I'm not sure we can slip by them and open the door ahead," Karliah whispered. 

"Look over there...a valve. If we can release the gases there, we can create a distraction and slip past them," Loria explained.

"Good thinking."

Karliah turned the large lever to release the gas, and Loria set it aflame with her fire spell, causing an explosion. Loria wrapped herself and Karliah in shadow as the guards and mage came running to put out the fire before it burned all the research. The distraction allowed the two women to slip past everyone and lockpick the door, bringing them to a balcony leading to another door.

"This must be where his research is held," Karliah whispered.

The lock on the door to the laboratory was tricky and complicated, taking several tried and broken picks. Finally open, they snuck in, relieved there was no one about. The guards were probably overly confident no one could break-in.

Calcelmo's personal laboratory was crowded with all things Dwemer, except for scraps of paper and books lying about that had Ancient Falmer written on them. On a small balcony, Loria noticed a large stone tablet with what she recognized as the Falmer Language, but the alphabet had been translated. It was large, too large for the women to carry. 

"Karliah, over here. Look, it's all translated here. How do we get this to Enthir?"

"We don't, but I have an idea," Karliah said, going back to the table, grabbing charcoal and paper. "I noticed the wizard was taking rubbings of this." She handed Loria some paper and charcoal as the two started taking rubbings, numbering each piece in order. Once done, Karliah rolled them up, stuffing them in her bag.

"Let's get out of here," Loria said, not wanting to linger any longer than they had to.

"Agreed."

But it was too late. The women heard the metal door open a man talking, hearing several people walking in. They were hiding behind the stone tablet as Loria wrapped them in shadow.

"Accidents like this just don't happen. Someone is trying to sabotage my uncle's research," the mage said, referring to their stunt with the fire.

"If there is a thief, he won't leave this tower alive. But shouldn't we inform Master Calcelmo?" said a guard.

"I'll deal with my uncle. Just...go! Scour this place from top to bottom!"

Great, they were dealing with Calcelmo's nephew. Loria and Karliah, invisible to the naked eye, cloaked in the shadows and slipped past the mage as the guards went off in search of the thieves. 

By the time they reached outside of the Understone Keep, it was early afternoon. Not wasting any more time, they grabbed their gear and Vigilance, the dog riding with Loria as they rushed back to Winterhold to have Enthir finally translate Gallus' journal.

Talia had been gone for nearly two weeks, and Brynjolf was beside himself with worry. It didn't help that his last kiss with her felt like some sort of 'goodbye.' He had sent two thieves to the Snow Veil Sanctum, but there was no sign of either Talia or Mercer though there was evidence of blood deeper in the ruins. They were on the hunt for Karliah, and now Brynjolf worried Karliah managed to kill them both. He didn't know what to do as he paced the Cistern.

Why did it feel like she was kissing him goodbye? He hadn't given it much thought until she and Mercer vanished. His only consolation was there were no bodies to be found in or out of the ruins, so he hoped they escaped, perhaps unable to return yet. 

If Talia returned, he vowed he would make a serious effort to commit to her. It would be a challenge, but if he could do it with anyone, it would be her. Brynjolf's pacing stopped when he saw Karliah enter the Cistern with a woman and a dog he had never seen before behind her. He growled out orders for everyone to come into the Cistern armed and ready, pulling out his own dagger.

"You're a dead woman," Bryjolf yelled at Karliah, the betrayer, the murderer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: The power and damage of the truth.
> 
> I have a new story up. It's about a mercenary who reluctantly, at first, protects the Dragonborn (a young teen) and her guardian as she fulfills her destiny, but absorbing dragon souls is dangerous work. As a loner, the mercenary finds himself feeling more than he expected over the mage guardian for the Dragonborn. I have written about the mercenary Vorstag that you can hire in Markarth. I recreated in a mod his NPC and liked his appearance enough to write about him. I hope you check it out. 
> 
> [The Renegade](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26058193)


	25. The Finality of Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brynjolf sees Loria for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please share your thoughts in the comments <3

The only thing that kept Brynjolf from attacking and killing the betrayer, the woman who murdered Gallus, was that she was unarmed, hands raised, wanting to talk. If she was willing to face down death, perhaps she had something worthwhile to say. And who was that other woman? An accomplice? And where was Talia?

“Where is she? Where are Talia and Mercer? Did you kill them?” Brynjolf demanded, looking around hoping to see Talia walk through the door, but it was only Karliah and that woman.

"Please, lower your weapons so we can speak. I have not killed Mercer or Talia. They are both very much alive. I also have proof that you've all been misled!" Karliah pleaded.

"No tricks, Karliah, or I'll cut you down where you stand. Now, what's this so-called proof you speak of?" Brynjolf demanded, but he wasn't focused on Karliah any longer, but on the beautiful black-haired woman approaching him, the contrite look on her face evident. The closer she got, the tighter the knots in his stomach became. He knew her. He knew right then who she was—Loria, Gallus' daughter—no one had eyes like hers. "Loria…? Lass, is that you?"

"Hi, Brynjolf…" she said before Brynjolf cut her off.

He almost pulled her into an embrace, but his head cleared and remembered that Karliah was the enemy. "You… you've been working all this time with Karliah? I don't understand." So many emotions were coursing through his body, and he couldn't focus on any single one, feeling a bit unsteady on his feet. Why would she choose to be by Karliah’s side after the woman killed Gallus, her father?

"Karliah is innocent of my father's death, Bryn." Loria stood close to him and pulled him into an embrace. It took a moment, but he returned the hug. 

"I have Gallus' journal. I think you'll find its contents disturbing," Karliah said when Loria and Brynjolf separated, handing the journal over to him.

Not taking his eyes off of Loria, he grabbed the book proffered to him. Reluctantly he looked away, opened the journal, and started reading Gallus' version of events that led to his death. All the emotions he was feeling earlier culminated into one, the anger palpable. _Mercer_. "No, it... it can't be. This can't be true. I've known Mercer too long..." But as he said the words, the truth hit him like a ton of bricks.

After everything he had been through with Mercer. His anger transformed into guilt, guilt for believing Karliah could do such a thing to Gallus, guilt that he killed his friends to protect Mercer's leadership all those years ago. _What a waste_.

"It's true, Brynjolf. Every word. Mercer's been stealing from the Guild for years, right under your noses," Karliah said.

"We went through a lot of trouble to discover what my father wrote in his journal. Mercer also tried to kill me, Bryn. He nearly did," Loria explained.

"Is that why you ran, lass?"

"Mercer tried to kill me at the ruins. No, I ran because my father told me to run. He had plans for me in case something happened to him. I'm so sorry I left you. I didn't understand and just ran as he told me to."

"It's fine, lass. I'm… I'm just happy you are alive and well."

Karliah didn't want to get distracted from Mercer's wrong-doings. Loria and Brynjolf could reunite later. "Mercer has been stealing from the Guild, Brynolf."

"That's impossible… There's only one way to find out if what you say is true. Delvin, I'll need you to open the vault."

Delvin walked over towards them, shock on his face, not understanding why Brynjolf was even listening to Karliah. "Wait, just a blessed moment, Bryn. What's in that book? What did it say?” But soon realization hit him that he too knew this woman. “Wait, is that... Loria?”

Loria gave Delvin a brief hug. “We will talk later. It is good to see you, Delvin.”

"It says Mercer's been stealing from our vault for years. Gallus was looking into it before he was murdered," Brynjolf interrupted, distracted with this new revelation of Mercer’s possible betrayal.

Both Vex, who had been watching everything unfold, and Delvin spoke up about the impossibility since it required two keys to open the vault at one time, with no one in the Guild owning two keys.

"That door has the best puzzle locks money can buy. There's no way it can be picked open," Vex said.

"He didn't need to pick the lock," Karliah explained.

"Just open it," Brynjolf ordered.

Delvin shook his head and shrugged, walking over to the vault door and unlocked it. "See, I can't open it."

Brynjolf then walked to the vault door and used his own key, opening it. He pushed it wide open and stood there dumbfounded as if his mind couldn’t wrap itself to what it was seeing. The whole vault was empty of all the treasures they accumulated over the years. _No, this is impossible._

All that could be heard through the Cistern were Vex and Delvin shouting and yelling about all the missing treasures, wanting to kill Mercer. All that work they did was for nothing. Brynjolf squatted down, picking up a stray Septim off the stone ground, flipping it in his hand, lost in thought, at a loss as to what to do.

"Delvin and Vex... Go to the Flagon, and if you see Mercer, tell me right away," Brynjolf finally ordered.

Karliah whispered something to Loria and walked away to leave her and Brynjolf alone.

Brynjolf stood staring at Loria, the only good thing that had happened in all this and pulled her in for another embrace. "It's good to see you, lass. I never forgot about you."

Loria's lip quivered as she tried to reel in her emotions, the dread forming in the pit of her stomach, so much so, she felt nauseous. Taking a deep breath, she decided to get it all over with. It was going to hurt him no matter when she told him. 

"I'm afraid the news is going to get worse, Bryn," she said, pushing him away and taking a step back, her arms folded around her for comfort.

"What's going on, lass? What could be worse than this?"

Instead of speaking, Loria decided it would be easier to conjure her magic and cast it over her face as she went from Loria to Talia. Black hair turned red, night eyes turned deep pools of brown.

Brynjolf watched in shock as she went from Loria to Talia. How could he be so stupid? Loria sounded like Talia, but he was distracted by Loria and Karliah’s arrival. Anger seized the man once more, feeling betrayed all over again. It wasn’t bad enough that Mercer fucked the 

Guild over, but Loria... "You!"

"Please let me explain…"

"You damned liar! The trickery! Why? How could you lead me to believe you were someone else all this time? Why couldn't you trust me enough to tell me the truth? I... we slept together!"

"I know, Bryn… I had to…"

"You had to? You didn't have to do a damned thing but tell me the truth!"

Brynjolf pinched the bridge of his nose between fingers, feeling a headache coming on. This was all too much—overwhelming—his world felt like it was falling apart. Of all the people… No, he was going to have to deal with it later and focus on Mercer. Putting on his leadership role, he needed to talk to Loria about Karliah.

"I need to know what you learned from Karliah. I mean everything."

"Bryn…" Loria pleaded, wanting to address their more personal problem right then. 

"Stop... I can't. We... we will deal with this later. Tell me about Karliah."

Loria's tears spilled down her face, knowing how much pain she had put Brynjolf through, but nodded, giving him the space he needed to figure things out. Vigilance snuggled next to her leg, whining as if he could feel his master’s pain. "Uhm, obviously Mercer killed my father. He got too close to figuring out what Mercer was doing."

Brynjolf nodded, now knowing that was the case after reading Gallus' journal. "What else."

"My father, Mercer, and Karliah were all Nightingales."

Brynjolf's face went from frustrated disgust to shock. "What? Nightingales? But, I always assumed they were just a tale... a way to keep the young footpads in line. Was there anything else she told you?"

"No, you already know she was involved in the Honningbrew and Goldenglow sales. I am to be a part of the Nightingales myself. It was the purpose of my creation. Nocturnal..."

He ignored her attempts to redirect the conversation back to them. "I have to stay here and keep things under control and watch for Mercer. I need you to go to his home here in Riften, break-in, and find any evidence that indicates where he could have gone."

"Bryn…" Loria attempted once more.

Loria watched Brynjolf walk away, clearly unable to talk to her, and barely look at her. She could imagine his feelings of betrayal and mistrust towards her. If she could take it all back, she would, but she had a job to do now. Wiping away her tears, she grabbed her gear and headed out to break into Mercer's home.

"How did it go, Lor?" Karliah asked. 

"How do you think it went?" she said, walking off, trying not to cry again. 

Sapphire had watched the whole thing from a distance. While she was angry with Mercer, furious, she felt Loria's pain. She knew how hard it was for the woman to come forward and tell Brynjolf the truth. She hated to see her friend hurt, but she was torn, hating to see Brynjolf in pain as well. Sapphire wished she could do something, say something to Bryjolf, but it wasn't the time. He was too angry and had other concerns. _Maybe later when he’s calmed down._

Karliah knew the conversation between Brynjolf and Loria hadn't gone well. Brynjolf had a lot on his shoulders, but she hoped he would at least hear Loria out, but it looked like he refused to talk about it at all. Maybe she could talk some sense into him. 

"Bryn, why didn't you give Loria a chance to explain herself?" Karliah asked.

Brynjolf was at the desk, looking down at nothing, refusing to look at her. "We have other things to worry about right now."

"Yes, we do, that doesn't mean you couldn't hear what she had to say. She has been torn over this for a while, terrified she would cause you pain, but she had her reasons for hiding herself."

"She shouldn't have hidden herself from me," was all he said before walking off, not wanting to talk about it.

A couple of hours later, Loria and Vigilant returned to the Cistern covered in blood. Brynjolf watched her approach, pushing back his concern that she was injured, but since she was steady on her feet, he figured it wasn't her blood.

"We've scoured the town, and I've spoken to every contact we have left—no sign of Mercer. Any luck on your end?" he asked, barely acknowledging Loria's presence. 

Loria nodded and handed him some papers she found in a hidden cellar in Mercer's home. "I found these. It was something I remember my father talking about," she said, looking over, seeing Karliah approach.

Despite his anger towards Loria, he couldn't hide his shock looking at the map and documents. "Shor's beard! He's going after the Eyes of the Falmer? That was Gallus's pet project. If he gets his hands on them, you can be certain he'll be gone for good and set up for life. Dammit! He's taken everything the Guild has left, and to go after one of the last greatest heists is just an insult. I've spoken to Karliah and made amends for how the Guild's treated her. Now she wishes to speak to both of us. Quickly, we have no time to lose."

Loria followed Brynjolf, depression setting in, but she choked it down to do her duty.

"Brynjolf, the time has come to decide Mercer's fate. Until a new Guild Master is chosen, the decision falls to you," Karliah said.

Brynjolf nodded in agreement. "Right... Mercer tried to kill you both, he betrayed the Guild and killed Gallus. He must die."

"This will not be easy, Brynolf. Mercer is a Nightingale, an agent of Nocturnal," she explained.

"And I'm Nocturnal's daughter. He hasn't seen what I can truly do and that gives us an advantage over him," Loria explained.

"Yes, you are, but you need to be indoctrinated into the Trinity, Lor. This was what your mother wanted for you and from future generations. Bryn, we need to approach Mercer on equal footing. Just outside of Riften, beyond the Southeast Gate is a small path cut up the mountainside. At the end of that path is a clearing and an old standing stone. I'd ask you both to meet me there," Karliah explained, then walked away, wanting Brynjolf and Loria to go together to have a chance to talk if he would even listen.

As Karliah walked ahead of them, Loria faced Brynjolf once more, but he too was trying to leave. "Stop!" she yelled, grabbing him. "You are going to stop and listen for one damned second!"

"There's no time…"

"You can spare five damned minutes! Look, Bryn, I'm sorry I kept my secret from you. I understand how you must feel…"

"No, you have no idea how I feel! Do not even pretend to know what is going on in my head right now! I tried to look for you... I worried about you! And here you are, all along and I... I made love to you!" Brynjolf wouldn't hear another word and stormed off without her.

Loria did everything she could to rein in her emotions that were threatening to spill over. How could she fix things if he refused to even listen to her? As he left, she pulled out a blank piece of parchment and a quill to write him a letter since he refused to speak to her. When she was done, she rolled it up, sealed it, and walked to his room. Placing the letter on his table next to his bed, she pulled the necklace holding his ring over her head, kissed it, and set it inside the rolled-up paper. Looking back once more as if worried that the letter would somehow vanish, she headed out to meet Brynjolf and Karliah.

Karliah didn't even bother to ask where Loria was when she saw Brynjolf walking up the hill alone. She knew the girl would be close behind. "Bryn…"

"Let's make one thing clear, Karliah. I am grateful for the fact that you didn't kill Gallus and that we are reunited, but I will not talk about Loria with you."

She raised her hands in defense, not wanting to push his anger any further. Karliah would just let the two figure things out and will help if asked.

As soon as Loria arrived, the three entered Nightingale Hall, which looked only to be a small cave, but inside was evidence of an old structure built into it yet lying in ruins. Brynolf walked around, looking at the place, wondering what he was doing there. "I'm trying to understand why I'm here. I'm no priest, and I'm certainly not religious. Why pick me?"

"This isn't about Religion, Bryn, it is just business. You are here because the three of us are closely tied to Gallus. We are his family. Now, let's head this way, and we can don our Nightingale armor."

There were three standing stones before them, and pressing on the Nightingale emblem opened up a secret compartment containing black enchanted armor with the Nightingale seal on the chest. All three changed into their armor, not talking to one another. Loria was notably silent.

"OK, we are wearing this armor, now what?" Brynjolf asked.

"This is just the first step to becoming a Nightingale," Karliah explained.

"Whoa, you said nothing about becoming a Nightingale, Karl."

"Yes, I believe I did. You just aren't listening. This is the only way we are going to be able to defeat Mercer. We need Nocturnal at our backs."

For the first time since arriving inside Nightingale Hall, Loria spoke up. "Why would we have Nocturnal at our backs? She is trapped, and she hasn't bothered to acknowledge my presence since Father died, or ever for that matter."

"She can still have power. How do you think your Guild was surrounded by so much bad luck? It wasn't just Mercer stealing right out from under it. Come, I will explain more after we are initiated." Karliah walked on towards a locked gate, but behind that were waterfalls and three stone emblems surrounding one larger rounded floor. 

Loria had Vigilance stay behind as Karliah opened the gate. “Stay here, boy,” she said, patting the dog’s head. He sat and stayed like the good dog he was, waiting for her return.

Once the gate was open, Karliah indicated each person to stand on an emblem. She kneeled to the ground and called out to Nocturnal. "I call upon you, Lady Nocturnal, Queen of Murk, and Empress of Shadow... hear my voice!"

While Nocturnal couldn't make herself appear in form, a massive ball of light formed before them, hoving. "Ah, Karliah. I was wondering when I'd hear from you again. Lose something, did we?" asked the condescending female voice, taunting.

"My Lady, I've come before you to throw myself upon your mercy and to accept responsibility for my failure."

"You're already mine, Karliah. Your terms were struck long ago. What could you possibly offer me now?"

"I have two others that wish to transact the Oath; to serve you both in life and in death. You will be pleased to know I have found your daughter—I have found Loria."

It was hard to tell what Nocturnal was feeling right then in her silence with no body or face to convey anything. Loria started fidgeting a bit as the ball of light bobbed up and down. She felt as if the thing were staring into her very soul.

"My daughter... Loria, you say? Yes, she's my daughter. I sense my power in her. You are more powerful than I thought you would be... interesting."

She didn't know why the anger spread through her veins like fire, perhaps because she was already upset. Loria understood Nocturnal was trapped, but she felt almost abandoned by this Daedric Prince. She knew they were indifferent to mortals, but the thing was her damned mother and Loria wasn't a typical mortal. "'Interesting?!' That's all you can say? 'Interesting?' I'm a demiprince, and your daughter and that is it? I have called out to you for decades, met only with silence. Yes, I know you are trapped, but you could have found a way! I called out to you before you were trapped when I was just a girl only to be ignored!" she yelled, ignoring Karliah's head shaking for her to stop.

"And what do you expect from me, my dear daughter? A motherly love with a kiss on the cheek?"'

"Actually, yes, that wouldn't have been too bad! It's clear now I'm just a tool for you and nothing more. Let's just get this over with," Loria demanded, holding back tears that had already been threatening to spill over because of Brynjolf. 

"I am sorry, daughter, that I disappoint you. I cared for you for nearly a year, but you needed more from the world and wouldn't have gotten that in my realm. I figured you would be better off with Gallus, your father. If it is any consolation, I did not want you to part with me. I did not know of your father's betrayal; otherwise, I would have intervened. I did care for him... in my own way. I also watched over you for as long as I could before I was trapped. I did not believe you needed me, so I remained silent, seemingly content in your life."

The tears that threatened to spill finally did, as Loria nodded at Nocturnal's words. They weren't perfect, but it was enough to placate her, believing the Daedric Prince cared, even if it was just a little bit. Perhaps she cared more, but the thing probably wasn't used to being overly loving or emotional.

Nocturnal turned her attention to Karliah once more. "So, what is it you will have of me, Karliah?"

"Our appetite for Mercer's demise exceeds my craving for wealth, Your Grace."

"Revenge? How interesting... Very well, the conditions are acceptable. You may proceed."

"Lady Nocturnal, we accept your terms. We dedicate ourselves to you as both your avengers and your sentinels. We will honor our agreement in this life and the next until your conditions have been met."

"Very well. I name your initiates Nightingale, and I restore your status to the same, Karliah. And in the future, I'd suggest you refrain from disappointing me again. Oh, and Karliah? Thank you for returning my daughter to me. Farewell, Loria."

Once the vow was complete, the three stood in the center of the watery room. 

"I don't feel any different," Bryjolf explained, trying to avoid looking at Loria but couldn't help but feel her pain watching her tears fall as she wiped them away.

"Because of the Skeleton Key missing from the Twilight Sepulcher, I'm afraid Mercer's seen to it that none of us can benefit from Nocturnal's gifts."

"Then what was the point of all this?" Brynjolf asked.

"We may not have her gifts, but we have her favor. She will have our backs, giving us a slight edge over Mercer. Not until we can return the Skeleton Key will we be bestowed with her gifts," Karliah explained. "Before we go, we need to settle on leadership in the Guild. I suggest the two of you discuss things before we head out."

"Brynjolf is the leader. End of story. Let's go," Loria said, leaving no room for debate, wiping away the rest of her tears and leaving the Nightingale Hall with Vigilance close behind, not bothering to look back to see if anyone was following her.

Loria was leaning on the massive carved stone outside, waiting for Brynjolf and Karliah, looking out into the dense orange forest of the Rift. So many emotions seeped into her very soul, she couldn't just pick one thread and deal with it—it was a tangled mess. There was guilt over how she dealt with her identity and Brynjolf, to anger that he wouldn't bother to listen. There was a strange emotional pain at finally speaking to her mother. It was surreal having a nearly intangible mother. The concept of her mother being a Daedric Prince seemed almost an abstract concept until she was face to face with Lady Luck.

The strongest emotion, the dominant pain, was sadness. She finally found her family once more, but it wasn't the happy reunion she wanted it to be. Loria realized she couldn't stay in Skyrim. What would be the point if she couldn't work things out with Brynjolf? The Guild would soon be back on its feet with Mercer gone, and hopefully, he would soon be dead. Once this was over, if she lived through it, she would return to Cyrodiil and the Imperial City, her home for twenty-five years. She had friends there, Talia, and good work. Loria did well for herself in the Imperial City. Any psychological issues with commitments were nearly resolved, but she wasn't interested in anyone other than Brynjolf. She knew that now. It just wasn't meant to be.

When Brynjolf and Karliah came outside, Loria donned her hood to hide all the emotions coursing through her. She didn't want Brynjolf to see any more of her pain and started to walk off to the stables, knowing they would have to retrieve their horses.

"Stop!" yelled Karliah.

When Loria stopped, Karliah grabbed Brynjolf's arm and pulled him closer to Loria. She let him go and folded her arms, anger flashed in her violet eyes. "That's enough... the both of you! I understand all the emotions you two are feeling right now, but we have a job to do, and I need to know if you both have each other's backs. We will not be able to defeat Mercer if we are enemies to each other! Do you two have each other's backs? I need to know now!"

"I would never let anything happen to Brynjolf," Loria said with a certainty not to be denied.

"Yes," was all Brynjolf muttered. He may have been furious with Loria, he wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

According to the map found in Mercer's home, the Eyes of Falmer were located in old Dwemer ruins in Windhelm, in the mountains, called Irkngthand. The snow was coming down heavily, but Loria could see all those that stood between the Nightingales and inside those ruins where Mercer lurked.

"How many do you see?" Karliah whispered, watching the bandits ahead of them.

"Nearly a dozen, at least. I can't see those who might be up higher, hidden," Loria explained. "Wait here."

"Lor…" Karliah grunted as the girl ran off, the dog never leaving her side. "Dammit! What is that girl thinking? She's going to get herself killed." 

Brynjolf didn't know what to say, worried about her reckless behavior until he saw her fight. Loria vanished in a puff of shadowy smoke, as he had seen her do countless times when she was a child, but that was in play. Now she was doing it as a ruthless killer. Her shadow would surround an unsuspecting bandit, and by the time the shadow pulled away to target another one, the previous bandit dropped to the ground dead. No wonder she was so successful at Goldenglow, he realized.

"Seems she doesn't even need us," Brynjolf said, unable to help his awe in watching her full power.

"She's doing this because of you!"

"How is this my fault?' Brynjolf scoffed.

"Because you refuse to talk about what happened, and she's upset, being reckless." 

"I didn't tell her to lie to me. She made those decisions all on her own."

"She had good reasons, Bryn. You could have at least heard her out. Fuck!" Karliah nearly yelled out and went to find Loria, following the trail of death.

Karliah and Brynjolf reached the ruins' rooftops, where the only doorway that wasn't covered in rubble was located. No bandits bared their way thanks to Loria, who stood there leaning against an ancient stone wall waiting for them as if she hadn't a care in the world.

"Foolish girl," Karliah hissed at Loria. "You will not go in there like that again. We do not know what to expect, and we go in slowly and cautiously. Is that understood?"

"I could handle it. The less you two have to deal with, the better chances of your survival," Loria explained.

"We are now the Trinity, Lor. We are in this together... a family. I know you are capable, girl, but you are not to take this on all alone."

"Fine," was all Loria said, agreeing she wouldn't rush off again.

Once inside the ruins, the three were greeted with blood and gore, the slaughter of bandits littered the ancient stone floors. _Mercer's work_ , Loria thought as the three started their hunt for the man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: The hunt for Mercer
> 
> I have a new story up. It's about a mercenary who reluctantly, at first, protects the Dragonborn (a young teen) and her guardian as she fulfills her destiny, but absorbing dragon souls is dangerous work. As a loner, the mercenary finds himself feeling more than he expected over the mage guardian for the Dragonborn. I have written about the mercenary Vorstag that you can hire in Markarth. I recreated in a mod his NPC and liked his appearance enough to write about him. I hope you check it out. 
> 
> [The Renegade](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26058193)


	26. The Real Betrayer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The hunt for Mercer is on. Byrnjolf finds Loria's letter and ring. Loria rushes off to return the Skeleton Key and leave behind all that she loves.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Please let us know what you think down in the comments <3

Being in Markarth, the old Dwemer city was nothing compared to the old Dwemer ruins of Irkngthand. Where Markarth was still gleaming and in relatively good shape, Irkngthand was a wreck with no one caring enough to maintaining it. The stone walls and pillars crumbled, metal long rusted and falling apart, yet much of the machinery was still functional and working. The clanking noise and steam gave an eerie warning in the otherwise silent ruins.

“Be prepared for more than just Mercer here. There are metal sentinels, Falmer and who knows what else,” Karliah warned.

While Loria didn’t run off, she took the lead with Vigilance close at her heels. She was better equipped to handle anything that came at the Nightingales, better equipped to protect her family, though she knew well enough Brynjolf and Karliah could hold their own. With the help of their new Nightingale armor and in conjunction with their training, the three were silent as ghosts in the tomb of machinery.

The three came to an overlook that gave them a clear view of the expansive ruins. They could see several Falmer standing guard in the distance, but they were expected. Their stench permeated the stale and ancient air. Looking through the grates, they saw movement in the distance, something other than the twisted elves. 

"Wait a moment... what's that? It's Mercer! Look... down there!" Loria whispered loudly.

“Damn it! There's no way through,” Brynjolf cursed.

"The bastard toying with us. He wants us to follow," Karliah said.

Loria nodded in agreement. “And we will be ready for him.” 

ough the only door, it brought them to a massive chamber with crumbling, carved stones, littered with Falmer structures, like large tents made from insect chitin and resin. The fetid smell assaulted their noses. It was a cross between scents of feces, rot, decay, nothing pleasant. The sounds of slight coughing to help battle the rising nausea echoed off the walls. 

Several Falmer were mingling about or standing guard. Though the creatures, who were once elves, were blinded by the Dwemer eons ago, their other senses were heightened. Scanning the large room, Loria could see a gate in the distance that was shut. They had to find a way to open it if they wanted to move on. 

“Let me take the creatures out,” Loria whispered. “You two find a way out of here, a lever of some sort to get that gate open.”

“Loria…” warned Karliah.

“I will be fine. I’m not running off. I can handle them. It will save us time if you two look for a way out while I deal with the creatures. Trust me, I don’t want to get near the things, but we need to keep moving.”

Agreeing to Loria’s plan, she disappeared in shadow while Brynjolf and Karliah went in search of anything to open the gate. Karliah ran off silently to the other side of the large room while Brynjolf looked elsewhere. Loria headed down the flight of steps in silence, approaching the Falmer squatting in the middle as if lying in wait for anything to get near it, it’s long elven ears twitching at any sound that wasn’t machinery.

She silently instructed Vigilance to attack a Falmer with hand signals she practiced with the dog. While he attacked his prey, Loria enveloped the other creature in shadow, quickly killed it with her dagger, and moved on to the next. Meanwhile, Brynjolf found a lever, pulling it, watching the grated gate move only partially down. Karliah had her own Falmer problem, killing it before finding the other lever at the end of a small balcony. She pulled it, forcing the grated gate to fully open. Now that the gate was open, Brynolf and Karliah ran down to help Loria, but the creatures were already dead.

Moving on, they came to another chamber that was nearly in complete ruins. Mud, dirt, and crumbling stone with more Falmer shelters decorated the area.

“Do we take the low-road or the high-road, lass?” Brynjolf asked the first time he had addressed Loria since they arrived.

Loria didn’t respond, afraid if she said anything to him, she would weep. She moved forward, climbing the fallen stone pillars—taking the high-road. It was better to have a high vantage point making it easier to take out the enemy. Pulling out her father’s bow, hiding behind a boulder, she took out several Falmer sentries in various areas up high. Clearing the way, the three reached the end as an entire tower crumbled to the ground, blocking their way. They were closer to Mercer than they thought.

“Dammit!” grunted Loria, the rumbling sound in the silence nearly giving her heart palpitations.

“The entire tower collapsed,” Brynjolf said, stating the obvious.

"The only reason to do that would be to block pursuit. It must be Mercer. We'll have to find another way around," Karliah explained.

Brynjolf shook his head in wonder, trying to figure out how that was even possible. "Mercer was able to knock this enormous wall down? Gods..."

"It's the Key, Brynjolf. In his hands, there's no telling what he's capable of."

“All the more reason to get to him and kill him,” Loria said, looking up and finding a pathway to another door higher up. “Let’s go.”

The next area through the door brought them to a small room with dead Falmer and treasure chests open and emptied, a note scrawled on the wall from Mercer. “He just loves toying with us, doesn’t he? Asshole,” Loria said, not sticking around for a conversation and moved on to the next door. If she were alone, she could have moved faster, perhaps Mercer would be dead by now. But Brynjolf and Karliah were slowing her down. Loria could have turned to shadow, slaughtered the Falmer, and found Mercer. This was taking too long.

The metal door opened into another massive chamber, not unlike the last two, but larger and swarming with Falmer and giant frost spiders could be seen in the distance. “Shit, please don’t tell me we have to deal with fucking spiders,” Loria complained. “Give me a disgusting Falmer any day.”

Brynjolf had barely acknowledged Loria’s presence since they had been in the Dwemer ruins, but he was unable to control the small smile that tugged at him about her spider comment, knowing how much she hated them. It brought back memories of him and Talia killing the spiders in Whiterun. That trip had changed everything and the longer he spent with the woman, the more he wanted to be with her. But she wasn’t Talia, was she? She was Loria—Loria the liar. The bitter thoughts wiped away whatever happy memories he had along with his smile.

As they moved, all three abruptly stopped, looking at the giant metal creature before them. "Shor's Bones! Look at that monstrosity. It looks like an enormous man-made of metal," Brynjolf whispered.

"It's a Dwarven Centurion. Very tough and very deadly," Karliah explained. “Loria, you are the best shot and have Gallus’ bow. See that red center in the middle of its chest? That is the core. Fire an arrow there, destroy it, and you can take out the Centurion. If we do not, it will kill us. There is no way we can fight it and all the Falmer.”

Loria nodded, pulled out the bow, nocked an arrow and held her breath. She let her breath out as she fired her arrow, keeping her bow up for the follow-thru. The arrow met its target and the Centurion crumbled to the ground blowing scalding steam and clamoring metal, the noise deafening, drawing the attention of all the Falmer in the area. “Shit…”

“Better them than the Centurion,” Karliah said, pulling out her daggers.

Loria vanished once more in shadow as she swept through the large cavern with a speed Brynjolf and Karliah had not seen yet, leaving a bloody trail of Falmer in her wake. She was unable to get them all, forcing Vigilance, Karliah, and Brynjolf to take out the rest. 

Loria was already at the top, firing arrows from a distance at the spiders by the time Brynjolf and Karliah caught up to her. There was no chance she was going to kill spiders up close. Once the spiders were killed, Loria leaned over, hands on knees to calm her queasy stomach, her body shuddered in disgust. To add insult to injury, she was covered in Falmer blood, the smell of them penetrated her nostrils making her want to retch. “Remind me never to come into Dwemer ruins ever again,” she complained as Vigilance licked her face in worry. Loria ruffled his fur to let him know she was fine.

Her emotions were running at an all-time high. The disgusting creatures and spiders forcing her already foul mood into a darkened one. Brynjolf barely acknowledged her, knowing he hated her, dealing with everything in the ruins and chasing after her father’s killer, left more than a bad taste in her mouth. She wanted to just let it all out, but she couldn’t. Choking back all the emotions and nausea, she forced herself into a single mind with a single thought... _Mercer._

Part of Brynjolf wanted to go to her and check to see if she was OK, realizing that despite her and Talia looking completely different, she behaved the same way. She was the same person, but he just couldn’t get past her deceit, angry that she couldn’t trust him enough to be honest with him. He would have protected her and her identity. Now he was unsure he could ever trust her again. Instead of going to her, he stood and waited for her to get control of herself.

“Let’s go,” Loria said, shaking it off.

“Are you OK, Lor?” Karliah asked with concern. Though she couldn’t see the girl’s face, she knew there was more going on with her than simple disgust over spiders.

“Let’s go,” she repeated, ignoring the question.

Their noses were assaulted by another pungent odor, worse than before as soon as the doors were open. The area was covered in filth and stench, clearly the Falmer had made their nest there, a hive, but only a few could be seen, the Nightingales quickly killing them. 

Room after room was littered with the filth of the Falmer, their shelters, and chaurus. The chaurus fed and armored the Falmer, but the creatures were even more disgusting than giant frost spiders, shooting venom.

Loria was in near rage mode when they reached another door. “How big is this fucking place?” she grunted.

"No, he's close. I'm certain of it. We must prepare ourselves."

"Then this is it. We do this for Gallus and for the Guild," Brynjolf said.

Loria remained silent as she opened the door. Inside stood the biggest statue she had ever seen in her life. It was solid gold and of an elf, an elf she had only seen pictures of in her father’s journal Karliah had shown her. She assumed it was the very statue that held the eyes, though gems were gone. Standing on the statue stood Mercer, his back turned to them.

"He's here and he hasn't seen us yet. Brynjolf, watch the door," Karliah ordered.

"Aye, lass. Nothing's getting by me."

Karliah was about to tell Loria to climb down, but the girl was one step ahead of her, daggers drawn.

Mercer turned around at their presence, scoffing. "Karliah, when will you learn you can't get the drop on me?" 

He knew one was Karliah, but he had no idea who the other two were, new initiates, most likely, but he had a feeling the man was Brynjolf—who else would it be? Mercer was confident he could handle whatever they threw at him. “Karliah, I'll deal with you after I rid myself of your irksome companions. In the meantime, perhaps you and Brynjolf should get better acquainted while I take care of this little one coming at me," Mercer said casting a spell at Karliah and Brynjolf who began to attack each other. 

“It’s a frenzy spell,” yelled Karliah, defending herself against Brynjolf’s assault.

"What's... what's happening... I can't stop myself,” Brynjolf said, trying to stop his attack on Karliah, but had no control over his body.

"Damn you, Mercer! Fight it, Brynjolf... he's taken control of you!"

"I'm sorry lass, I... I can't..." Brynjolf struggled.

Loria looked back at Karliah and Brynjolf fighting. There was no way to get back up to them without Mercer killing her first. Once he was dead, the spell would be broken and the two would stop fighting. She looked back at Mercer’s smug face wanting to kill him right then and there, but she had to reach him first. The more she watched him, the angrier she became, eventually, the only thought coursing through her mind was seeing his dead corpse and his blood on her hands. 

Mercer’s selfish greed ruined her life. He set in motion things that put her in the spot she was in. He killed her father, forcing her to flee her home and family. She spent twenty-five years loathing the wrong person. The man tried to kill her and for what? All because her father didn’t love the man back? She was forced to return to Riften, pretend to be someone she was not, lied to Brynjolf. All of it was Mercer’s fault. Loria removed her hood revealing herself as Talia. She wanted to show him he failed at killing Talia.

Mercer couldn’t hide his shock at seeing the woman he thought he killed, but he recuperated. "When Brynjolf brought you before me I could feel a sudden shift in the wind. And at that moment, I knew it would end with one of us at the end of a blade."

“Give me the fucking key, Mercer, and perhaps I just may give you a quick death,” Loria offered.

"What's Karliah been filling your head with, Talia?” he asked. “Tales of thieves with honor? Oaths rife with falsehoods and broken promises? Nocturnal doesn't care about you, the Key, or anything having to do with the Guild."

“This is personal, Mercer,” Loria simply stated.

"Revenge is it? Have you learned nothing from your time with us? When will you open your eyes and realize how little my actions differ from yours? Both of us lie, cheat, and steal to further our own end."

The angry tears spilled down her face, unable to control them. Loria dropped to the ground, her long red hair changing to black, trailing down her back in wisps of shadow, barely able to contain her form in her rage.

Mercer looked on in shock once more seeing the girl reveal herself. He knew right then she was Gallus’ daughter. For the first time since the arrival of the Nightingales, he felt a pang of fear. If he remembered anything from her youth, she could turn to shadow itself, and he would never know where she was. 

“Yes, I may lie, cheat, and steal to further my own end. My own end is to see you dead and your blood dripping from my blade! Do you think Nocturnal doesn’t care about me? I assure you she does, as she is my mother and you killed my father. You forced me to flee my home and family! And for what? Because my father wouldn’t fuck you?! You’re sick and a monster. All this time I was right under your nose and while you may have sensed I may be the end of you, you had no idea who I really was. You were never able to reach the status that my father was. You are half the man.”

Mercer had no choice but to face her. She wouldn’t let him leave there alive and he would do whatever it took to defend himself. "Then the die is cast, and once again my blade will taste Nightingale blood!” he yelled, vanishing as if into thin air, mere trickery while casting some spell that caused the room to cave in on itself, spilling water from a lake above.

Telling Vigilance to stay, Loria herself vanished in a waft of shadow, able to see his shimmering form move in the darkness with her keen eyes. Daggers drawn, she reappeared in his face, shocking him. She didn’t want to fight him like a shadow. She wanted him to see her face as the life went out of him.

Clanging blades tightly into each other, Mercer shoved her off of him as she stumbled back into the water, lunging at her. She rolled away from his sword as he followed through with a dagger, narrowly missing her. Thrusting up a knife towards his underbelly, he lept back just in time and vanished once more.

“You fool, my powers allow me to see where you are. You needn’t bother,” she said.

Loria vanished once more, hiding in the shadows watching his movements. She was the cat and he was the mouse, watching him scramble to hide somewhere when he could no longer see her. “Mercer…” she toyed with him, her voice echoing in the chamber. “You can’t hide from me, you bastard. 

Her shadow flew to another dark corner when he sensed where her voice was coming from, but stopped, looking around. Silently, she floated, wrapped her shadow around his body, and gave him a series of non-lethal cuts forcing his invisibility spell to wear off.

“Stop toying with him, Loria!” Karliah yelled while still fighting Brynjolf. “Please, before we kill each other!”

Loria, still shadow, realized the truth of Karliah’s words, nearly forgetting she and Brynjolf were still there in her rage. Her shadow disarmed Mercer as his weapons flung to dark corners, grabbing the two Eyes of Falmer. She reappeared behind him, kicking out his knees to force him to the ground. 

“You would stab me in the back, unarmed?” Mercer spat. 

“Isn’t that what you did to my father?” she said. “You’re a coward, Mercer, and you have no purpose in this world.” Loria grabbed his hair, forcing his head back, and slowly slit his throat, watching him quickly bleed out, the life blinking out of his eyes.

Angry tears filled her eyes, spilling as she let him fall into the now water-filled chamber. She felt no relief, no happiness. She felt only pain of missing her father. Loria knew killing Mercer wouldn’t bring him back, but she hoped it would ease some of her pain, but it only served to make it worse, though she did not regret his death.

Loria’s body was suddenly tackled and forced into the water, the air nearly knocked out of her lungs, but ready to fight whoever attacked her. Breaching the surface of the water, she looked around and saw no one. 

“It’s Brynjolf,” yelled out Karliah who was swimming towards Loria. “He was hit by a falling boulder to save your life! He’s under the water!”

_No, no, no_ … Loria dove in the water and saw Brynjolf at the bottom, knocked out, a bloody trail being washed away from his head. Grabbing him, she pulled him to the surface, casting a healing spell on his head. Relief flooded her when she heard him groan, but there was no more time to do anything as she struggled to keep them afloat, water quickly rising. 

“We have to find a way out of here!” Karliah yelled through the roaring waters and crashing stone.

But there was nowhere to go. Brynjolf was still out, but breathing, as she pulled him in close trying to keep his head above water. She didn’t want to drown, she wasn’t ready to die, not after everything.

The four were quickly reaching the ceiling of the cavern as the water rose—too quickly. Soon, they would be unable to breathe, having mere minutes left. Loria wept again, kissing Brynjolf’s head and holding onto Karliah who held onto the dog, resigning to the fact they were all going to die.

The water was a mere couple of feet from the ceiling when the cavern shook again and stones crumbled to the depths below. Looking up, Loria nearly wept out loud in relief when she saw the opening to the ceiling.

“Please tell me that was my mother’s doing.”

The two women swam to the opening and started to climb out, pulling Brynjolf along with them. They used their combined strength together to carry him out and into the light of Mundus. Loria and Karliah crumbled to the ground, nearly dropping Brynjolf, panting.

“It’s done then,” was all Loria said, back lying on the ground.

“You did it, girl. He’s finally dead. Did you get the Eyes?”

Loria nodded and sat up. “Here, give this one to Brynjolf. I’m keeping the other in memory of my father and all his sacrifices.” Standing up, she brushed the mud off of her armor and pulled Karliah up, pulling her into a tight embrace, trying not to cry.

“You’re leaving then,” Karliah said, resigned to the fact.

“I can’t stay. He hates me too much and I just can’t face him anymore. It’s unbearable. Please tell him thank you for saving my life and give him the eye. I will write to you as much as I can, let you know what is going on in my life if you want. I will also come to visit. I’m not letting you slip out of my life again. And here, take these to give to him as soon as I’m gone. I healed his head just enough, but he needs more.” 

“I will heal him. Here, and you take this,” Karliah said, handing her the Skeleton Key. “You have to return it. I've been a Nightingale for a very long time. I sold my allegiance to Nocturnal in exchange for many profitable years of thieving. Falling in love with Gallus was wrong. It was a distraction that allowed the Sepulcher to be desecrated and it likely cost him his life. Until the Key is returned, I will never set foot inside that place again."

“No, don’t say that. It wasn’t your fault. You and my father loved each other. It was important,” Loria said, taking the key. “I will return it, but don’t you dare blame yourself.”

Karliah nodded, trying to contain her tears, “Where are you going to go, Lor, after returning the Key?”

“Home,” was all Loria said, hugged Karliah once more, told her she loved her, and walked away, Vigilance following close behind.

Loria pushed Nebula as hard as she could without injuring the animal, wanting to reach Riften before Karliah and Brynjolf, to have time to pack and leave. She didn’t want to see Brynjolf. She couldn’t take the look of anger and disappointment on his face any longer. 

As soon as she walked into the Cistern, she rushed to Byrnjolf’s room to ensure her letter and ring were still there, satisfied, she quickly cleaned up in the bathing area, got dressed and started to pack.

“Leaving are you?” said the voice at her back.

Loria turned around to see Sapphire standing there, arms folded. She turned back around to resume her packing. “Yes. You probably hate me too for hurting Bryn, I supposed.”

“I don’t hate you. Look, I understand where you were coming from and why you did what you did. Did you explain it to him?”

Loria shook her head. “He wouldn’t listen. He’s too angry, and I guess I don’t really blame him. I’m going home. It’s done. Mercer is dead and Brynjolf will be the new leader. He will be good at it. Brynjolf was trained by the best.”

“I know he will be. I’m glad you found Mercer and made him pay. I still can’t believe it, but it’s done now. Are you sure you can’t stay? We sure could use you around here... I could use you as a friend,” Sapphire said.

Loria finally turned to her new found friend. “I wish I could. I wanted… well, it doesn’t matter what I want because I can’t have it anyway. I will write and I will stop by when I visit Karliah.” Loria pulled the woman into a hug. “Thanks for being my friend, as short as it was. I needed someone like you.”

“I will miss you. Take care of yourself, Lor.”

“I will. Now I better check on Delvin. I didn’t get a chance to talk to him yet.”

Leaving Sapphire behind, Loria made her way to the Ragged Flagon where Delvin could always be found. He was at a table, sipping on a mead, reading through some missives.

She sat down at his table and grabbed one of his hands. “I’m so sorry we didn’t get a chance to talk, Delvin. I...I have missed you. I supposed you’ve heard I was Talia all this time.”

“I ‘eard. Is there a reason you lied to all of us, lass?”

Delvin at least gave her a chance to explain herself. “I honestly wasn’t sure who I could trust. I came up here to find out what had happened to my father’s Guild and to help out. I was going to reveal myself, but then Karliah came into the picture. I didn’t want her to get wind that I was back to give me an advantage, thinking Karliah was my father’s killer. I’m so sorry I held the truth from you all.”

“Well, don’t worry ‘bout me. I’m just glad yer safe and Mercer is dead. Don’t look so surprised. You wouldn’t be here as you are had he lived.”

“Thanks, Del. It’s been wonderful seeing you again, even as Talia. I remember my childhood fondly with you in it.”

Delvin patted her hand and looked at Loria then her back seeing her pack. “I suppose yer leavin’ us? What about Bryn?”

Loria stiffened to the questioning but nodded. “Yes, I’m leaving to go back home. Brynjolf hates me and he won’t listen, so what’s the point?” She pecked a kiss on Delvin’s cheek, waved goodbye, and walked out of the Cistern, trying to keep from crying, but she had no will power left to do so.

She grabbed Nebula, who was rested and watered, threw her pack on the horse, then Vigilance, and took off to the Twilight Sepulchre, not looking back.

Though Brynjolf was healed, he still had a raging headache. He wasn’t really sure if it was from the injury or if it was emotional. Either way, it put him in a foul mood, which was made worse by the knowledge that Loria fled from his life once more, not even saying goodbye. Would he have even listened if she did? He could hardly blame her, he supposed. He barely acknowledged her or let her explain things, deciding to stew in his anger instead. Now she was gone... again.

As he was walking to his room, he was stopped by Sapphire who grabbed his arm. “What?” he snapped, in no mood to talk.

“I’m glad to see you’re safe and back with us, but we need to talk about Loria.”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” as he pulled out of her grasp and walked away.

“You’re a stubborn fool, Bryn, and I don’t care if you’re the new leader or not. This is why she’s gone because you refuse to listen.”

That stopped him as he turned, crossing his arms, ready for battle. “Who are you too…”

“Shut the fuck up and listen. I knew about Loria before anyone else and before you get mad at me too, it was by accident and she made me swear. She explained to me why she did what she did and I believe her and understood. I’m telling you, that girl either likes you more than she’s let on or she loves you because she’s crushed. Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that while I understand your anger, you’re being a stubborn asshole.” With that, Sapphire let him stew on her words, walking off.

“Whatever,” he mumbled and walked to his room, slamming his door closed. 

After getting out of his armor, he was too tired to bathe and crawled into bed for a much-needed nap. Drawing the covers up over his shoulders his eyes started to drift to a close, trying not to think about Loria and her lies. But his eyes popped open realizing something was different about the table facing him next to the bed. Sitting up, he picked up the scroll, knowing it wasn’t his, and a necklace fell out of it. Lifting the chain, he saw the ring dangling before him, realizing it was Loria’s. 

The meaning behind the necklace hit him like the boulder that crashed on his head in the ruins earlier. Brynjolf wondered if her story behind the ring was true, recalling their conversation about it. It must have been true because the story represented him in his youth and Loria as a child. 

_"Why don't you reach out to him then?" Brynolf asked her._

_"I'm not sure he would want to see me," Loria replied._

Now he understood what she meant when he asked her about the ring around her neck. She meant he would be angry to see her once she revealed herself. _Fuck!_ He didn’t want to stop being angry at Loria, didn’t want to think about her, but she attacked his thoughts relentlessly. He threw the ring against the wall, got up to get dressed and to work. He knew he wouldn’t be able to rest, not ready to read her letter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Mother and Father


	27. Key to a Parent's Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loria returns the Skeleton Key to the Twilight Sepulcher and gets a chance to not only see her father again but meet her mother face-to-face. Loria returns to Cyrodiil and Brynjolf does some house cleaning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please let us know what you think down in the comments <3

The storm came out of nowhere, drenching Loria and Nebula to the bone as they rode through the dense and ancient woods, passing Falkreath hours ago. Shivering she continued on until she could reach the Twilight Sepulchre, not wanting to stop, though she probably would have been warmer. Loria just wanted to get her quest over with and move on to Cyrodiil. To be out of Skyrim once and for all. Her whole mission was nothing but heartbreak, other than finding Karliah, though admittedly, it was of her own doing. It was wonderful with Brynjolf for a while, but if she was honest with herself, it wasn’t real. Brynjolf liked her as Talia, not as Loria the Liar, and she could hardly blame him.

It was evening by the time she reached the temple’s entrance, which looked more like a cave than anything. Tying up Nebula to a tree, Loria removed her hood and headed inside, eager to return the key and get back to Falkreath for some sleep before heading out once more.

The temple was drenched in complete darkness. Unable to see, despite having good nocturnal eyesight, Loria cast a magelight. The blue and eerie glow emanated outward revealing a large chamber full of unlit braziers. She tried to light them, but they refused. Shrugging, she moved on deeper into the temple before she was stopped by a ghostly apparition.

“You seem familiar and I sense you are one of us, a Nightingale. Who are you?” said the male ghost.

Loria, not recognizing her father, for the ghost was wearing his Nightingale armor and his face was covered, replied. “I’m Loria. Who are you?”

"The last of the Nightingale Sentinels, I'm afraid. I've defended the Sepulcher alone for what seems like an eternity…wait, did you say... Loria? Loria? I had a daughter named Loria once! Could it be? Is that you... my daughter?”

“F... Fater? Gallus?” Loria stammered, finding it difficult to breathe, hardly believing her father’s ghost was standing before her, not understanding.

“It is you! Oh, how I have missed you so. I am pleased to see you are well and alive, that the betrayer didn’t kill you. And a grown woman no less! You did as I asked and ran?”

“I... I did. I ran and ran. I lived with Talia for twenty-five years and came home finally,” Loria explained, unable to control her tears. It was the last thing she was expecting, never imagining she would see her father again, even in ghost form. Her fingers reached for her father, the desire to touch him and hold him palpable, but she was only met with air as her hand passed through him.

“Twenty-five years? Is that how long I have been gone? It feels like an eternity. It was all my fault for this. My death, your life turned upside down,” Gallus said, the regret clear in his voice.

“How could this possibly be your fault, Father? You did nothing wrong!” Loria insisted.

"I was blinded. Blinded by dark treachery masquerading as friendship. Perhaps if I had been more vigilant, then Mercer Frey wouldn't have lured me to my fate, and yours. I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you and grown into a beautiful woman. I can sense your power, but tell me, why are you here, Loria?”

“I have come to finally return the Key to Mother.”

"The Key! You have the Skeleton Key! I never thought I'd see it again. And Mercer Frey?"

“The bastard is dead. He tried to kill me, he nearly did.”

“Then... it's finally over and my death wasn't in vain. I owe you a great deal, my daughter. Thank you for this gift. You have become so strong and I couldn’t be more proud of you. I have missed you terribly all these years, wishing I could have seen you grow up. For that, I’m so sorry.”

A sob escaped Loria’s lips, as she nodded. The pain of her loss raw once more, but grateful she got to talk to her father once more. “You should know Karliah helped me,” she finally said after she recovered a bit.

"Karliah... she's still alive? I feared she'd befallen the same fate, ending up a victim of Mercer's betrayal."

“She nearly did. She witnessed your murder, following you, but she wasn’t successful killing Mercer. She spent years planning to destroy Mercer, and we did it together with Brynjolf.”

“I'm so happy you three have reunited and are a family once more,” Gallus said.

“So what now? Do I just give you the Key?” Loria asked.

"Nothing would bring me more pride than to return the Key, but I'm afraid it's impossible. From the moment I arrived here, I've felt myself... well... dying."

“How is that possible?” Loria struggled to believe that her father could die once more. It wasn’t fair.

"The Sepulcher isn't merely a temple or a vault to house the Key. Within these walls is the Ebonmere... a conduit to Nocturnal's realm of Evergloam. When Mercer stole the Key, that conduit closed, severely limiting our ties to her."

“Yes, Karliah explained that to me when I asked her why Nocturnal never reached out to me. I was so angry with her for a long time at her silence, not knowing about the Skeleton Key. So, I’m going to have to go this alone then?” she asked, not wanting to depart from her father, not ready to let him go once more.

"I'm afraid so. I'm weakening, and I can feel myself slipping away. The years without restoration of my power have taken their toll. Whatever damage has been caused can only be corrected by following the Pilgrim’s Path to the Ebonmere and replacing the Key."

“Then I will do it.”

“Beware, my girl. The Sentinels are restless and will see you as a threat. Good luck, my daughter. I love you.”   


Loria’s lip quivered once more, but she took a deep breath to calm herself, gave her father a smile, and told him she loved him too, and went to the doors and into the Temple.

Wiping her tears, she went through the doors into a large chamber with a connecting room. There were two Sentinels cast in shadow, moving about as if they were still alive. They sensed her presence and didn’t take long to attack, fighting wildly. Loria quickly killed them, if ghosts could be killed. She didn’t want to do it, knowing their purpose was to protect her mother, but she had no choice if she wanted to live. Now that she knew what to expect, she cast herself in shadow and snuck her way through the rest of the area unseen. 

Once she was through a door, she came to a large area cast in dark shadow, unable to see the vastness of it. The only areas that were in light were littered with corpses. Loria quickly realized this was a test of sorts.  _ Walk in the shadows _ crossed her mind as she did so, completely avoiding the and light. To make the path more difficult there were tripwires in the dark that would fire poisoned darts if triggered, carefully stepping over them. She had the fortune of being able to see in dark places, but anyone else would have tripped them.

Through the next door, the room simply brought her to a statue of her mother, Nocturnal. Loria looked around but could find no way to get anywhere else, seemingly a dead end. She looked around for a hidden door, but there was nothing but stone walls. That was when she saw it, a chain hidden in a corner. Pulling it, to cause the fire to snuff out of the brazier, casting half the room in darkness. Loria quickly realized she needed to put Nocturnal in shadow. Indeed, there was another chain she pulled plunging the room in the dark as a stone door slid open behind the statue. 

She walked over to the door and followed the path. The opening of the secret door triggered a series of traps. Loria noticed trigger plates on the ground, careful to avoid them, but she would have to go through the swinging axes, which was simple enough for her in her shadow form. 

Opening the next door set off another trap that nearly decapitated her as she quickly dropped to the ground feeling the breeze as the large sawn log dropped and swung in her direction. If it didn’t kill a person, it would leave them severely injured with broken ribs. Loria took a deep breath to calm the sudden rush of adrenaline from the trap and moved on to the next door and possibly another test.

Loria stood there looking down. There was nowhere else to go. The pit below her was littered with human bones. She didn’t want to go down there, but she couldn’t fathom where else she could go after scouring the area for a good hour. It must be part of the test, the pilgrim’s path, she thought as she resigned herself and jumped down, Vigilance close behind her. 

“Now what?” she said to Vigilance, who’s only response was a whine.

Standing there for a good twenty minutes with nothing happening, she paced the small circular well, angry at herself for getting trapped, believing her intuition was correct. Loria pulled out the Skeleton Key and held it in her hand. 

“Alright, Mother! I’m here with your damned Key! Are you just going to leave me here? Let your daughter just die in this well with the rest of the bones after all I have…”

But as soon as she held the Key and yelled, the small well started to vanish before her and she re-emerged into a room in complete shadow other than in the center of the room. There a small circular area was cast in dim light with a hole in the center of it, a hole that looked just like a large keyhole. Nodding to herself, she realized that was where the Key went and returned it to its rightful place.

Once again the room vanished and Loria was thrown into another realm, Vigilance whining with concern. The sky looked like her eyes, and crows perched in silence all in the trees and ruined stone walls. Loria knew instantly this was Nocturnal’s realm she was tossed into. She followed the orb light that appeared at her arrival and was brought to a door, not realizing these were the same steps her father once took over thirty-five years ago, a path that brought Loria into being.

“Hello, Mother,” Loria said as soon as she walked in, seeing a beautiful woman that looked nearly identical to Loria herself, though half-naked in robes and two crows perched on either shoulder.

“Loria, my dear daughter. You have returned the Key and now I am free once more. I cannot tell you how good it will feel to stretch my proverbial legs again. It’s been years. Only a daughter of mine would have walked the pilgrim’s path unharmed and return the Key once more.”

“It was my duty, as a Nightingale, was it not?”

Nocturnal smirked at the girl, “It was indeed. Would you like a pat on the head, then?”

“You needn’t bother,” Loria said, wondering why she was even there. Nocturnal was her mother, but there was no love or a sudden bond at reuniting with the Daedric Prince. “Why am I here?”

“To see you for myself, face to face. You have become more than I expected, admittedly. I wasn’t sure how you would turn out living with humans. Then after Gallus died, I didn’t know what became of you. I must say, I’m pleasantly surprised.”

“If that is your way to say thank you, then you’re welcome. As I said, I was just doing my duty.”

“It is more than a thank you. I wanted to tell you in person that I appreciate you. I don’t say these things often, if ever, so take it as you will.”

Nocturnal stood up from her chaise lounge, shooing her birds away and slowly approached Loria. The Daedric Prince gently grasped Loria’s shoulders and looked into her eyes. She brushed some of her daughter’s hair out of her face and cupped her chin. “You are so beautiful and those eyes... I remember those eyes, like the night sky itself. Perfection. I know you are skeptical, that there is no love for me. I understand, but you should know, though it may surprise you, that I love you.”

Loria didn't know what to expect from Nocturnal, but a declaration of love was certainly not on the top of her meager mental list. She couldn’t help but let the tears slip, which she was doing a lot of recently, at hearing those words she longed to hear from her mother all those years ago when she was a girl, especially the day she ran to her new home.

“I am sorry I was not there for you. It honestly wasn’t my intention. Mercer made that happen the day he took my Skeleton Key. If its any consolation, I have been punishing Mercer for the murder of Gallus, a fellow Nightingale, the theft of my Key and his attempts on your life, my own daughter. He will pay for an eternity now that he’s under my control in death. He will suffer a lifetime of pain. Maybe one day I will release him, but not before he is driven mad.”

Loria nodded, not knowing what to say, tears still spilling down her face. Nocturnal’s face softened looking at her daughter and pulled the girl in for an embrace, feeling Loria rack with sobs against her. Normally Nocturnal wouldn’t feel so much for any human, but Loria wasn’t just any human. She was a part of her very being. “Hush girl. Now that you have set me free, I will be sure not to ignore you so much and you are welcome here at any time.”

Lady Luck smiled, holding Loria as she felt the girl wrap her arms around her, embracing her mother in return. “Now, it is time to return and say goodbye to your father,” she said, pushing her daughter gently away.

“Why? Where is he going? Why can’t he stay so I can see him regularly?”

“That’s not fair to Gallus. He has served his purpose and has done well by me. It is time I set him free. His contract has been fulfilled. Go now and I will see you again, my dear.”

Before Loria could say anything more, Nocturnal’s realm vanished and she was once more back in the room with the portal. There stood Gallus and Karliah, talking to each other and catching up, Karliah in tears at seeing her lover again.

“Karliah, what are you doing here?” Loria asked. “I thought I wouldn’t see you for some time.”

“I came to make sure the key was returned. I trusted you to do it, but I worried about you, but as soon as I arrived, I felt a shift and knew that you were successful. Imagine my surprise to see Gallus once more,” she explained, wiping her face of wetness. 

“I wish I could hold you both,” Gallus said, missing his lover, happy to see her alive and his daughter. “I also wish I could linger and catch up, but I am afraid I must go now. Nocturnal calls me to the Evergloam. My contract has been fulfilled."

“Will I ever see you again, my love?” Karliah asked.

“Most certainly. When your debt to Nocturnal has been paid, we'll embrace once again, both of you."

"Farewell, Gallus. Eyes open... walk with the shadows."

“Goodbye, father. I love you.”

“Goodbye, Loria, and Karliah. I love you both,” he said and vanished.

Loria and Karliah held each other for a moment and wept, feeling their loss all over again. Finally composing themselves, they wiped their tears away. 

“How’s Brynjolf? Is he OK?” Loria asked.

“He’s fine, but madder than a hornet. I’m not sure if he’s still angry you lied or because you are gone. My guess is it’s both.”

“I hope he forgives me one day. I would like to see him again.”

“He will. I’m certain of it.”

Loria nodded and pulled Karliah into a hug once more. “Thank you for everything and loving my father enough to fight for him in his death. I have to go now. I can’t linger, the pain is too much.”

“I understand. Thank you too for believing in me. I love you and take care of yourself, dear girl.”

“I love you too.”

The ride back to Cyrodiil and the Imperial City was a slow and somber one. Loria was in no rush to get back, just in a rush to get out, to get away from the pain, as if she could run from it. There were a lot of happy memories too. Seeing her father once more and getting a chance to say goodbye was at the top of her happy list. Reuniting with Karliah and having a short relationship with Brynjolf was also there at the forefront of her happy memories. She didn’t realize how meaningful it was, connecting intimately with Brynjolf until she no longer had him. She finally recognized the love for what it was, no longer afraid of it. Instead of running from it, she had no choice but to let it go.

Loria did manage to have a smile on her face as she rode into the Imperial City, the smells and throng of people brought her some happiness. She didn’t realize how much she missed the big city, Riften seemingly a village in comparison.

Stabling Nebula, she was back at the Thieves Guild and walked up to Talia, pulling her in tight for an embrace. “Oh, I missed you!”

“Loria! I wasn’t expecting you... if ever, to be honest,” Talia said, hugging the girl back. “How was it? Did you find out what was going on up there?”

“I did indeed,” Loria said. The two sat down in Talia’s office as she explained all that had happened, leaving no details out. While Talia may have been the Guild Master, she was still like a mother to Loria.   


“I’m not sure how I feel about you using my face, Lor, but I’m so glad you worked everything out, got to see Gallus once more, and reunited with your family. I missed you, though.”

“I missed you too, Tal,” she said, kissing her on the cheek and left to go get some food from Una, missing her cooking.

Loria snuck up behind the old Bosmer woman and lifted her into an embrace, causing her to squeal in fright. “Sorry, Una! I just missed you!” Loria laughed.

“Girl! You are going to give me a heart attack! How are you going to eat if you kill me? And please, you just missed my cooking,” the old woman scolded, but laughing, happy to see Loria again.

“Well, I admit I missed your cooking, and if I see another dried beef jerky it will be too soon.”

Loria sat at the table while Una prepared some food for her, catching up with all that had happened. Loria only gave her a brief rundown of her time in Skyrim, leaving out most of the details.

Later that night, Loria headed out alone into the city streets, deciding to go to the tavern for some drinks, leaving the dog behind. She could have used a friend, wishing Sapphire was there, and while she had friends in the Guild, it wasn’t a close friendship. 

As soon as she walked in, she saw him there, Arik at a table with a blonde Imperial woman. His arm was wrapped about her, her head on his shoulder as they drank their ale. Clearly Arik and the woman were intimate. Strangely, Loria felt no pang of jealousy or anger at the man. She was happy to see him happy. He deserved it. 

She was about to leave when his eyes met hers, instead she took a deep breath in and headed to his table, smiling and waving. “Hi, Arik. How are you doing? You look good,” she said, noticing the woman sit up with a tinge of jealousy in her eyes.

“Loria, I’m good. I’m... surprised to see you, thinking you were gone forever,” he replied. “You look good.”

“Thanks. Yeah, I thought I was going to be gone forever too, but you know how things work out sometimes.” 

“Indeed, I do.”

Loria reached out a hand and introduced herself to the blonde Imperial. “Hello, I’m Loria.”

The woman tentatively shook Loria’s hand, uncertain what the woman was trying to do. She was wary, knowing this woman was Arik’s ex-lover. “Hi, I’m Claudia.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Claudia.”

“Would you like to sit, Lor? Join us?” Arik offered.

“No, thank you. I just came in for a couple of drinks and saw you here. I appreciate it though. Well, it’s good to see you.”

Loria turned to leave but returned her attention to Arik. “Arik, I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you happy with someone who clearly cares about you. You deserve it.”

She turned and left the tavern before he could say anything, not wanting to talk to him any longer. It wasn’t just happy memories with him or how she failed him, but the realization of how disastrous her relationship with Brynjolf was, as short as it was. It was all her fault. It was always her fault. 

Loria ordered two bottles of mead and headed out into the night. Climbing on a rooftop of an old shop, she sat and drank her mead looking out into the wonderful and brightly lit city alone.

Loria had been gone for nearly two weeks. Brynjolf’s mood was finally normalizing, his anger abating as he got lost in work being the new Guild Master. Already, the mood of the Guild was a happier one, luck quickly improving as the gold started to flow once more. He knew Loria was successful in returning the Skeleton Key and not because he could actually feel it being a Nightingale, but Karliah had written him. 

Brynjolf begged Karliah to come back to the Guild, but while she said she would do some periodic work for them, she would remain in the Nightingale Hall and continue her work for Nocturnal. She was used to being alone for so long, she struggled to be surrounded by people. Karliah would keep in touch with friends, Brynjolf and Loria, but would live alone. 

Delvin wanted to do a ceremony of sorts, welcoming him as the new leader, but Brynjolf brushed it off, not wanting to bother. He just wanted to work.

It was late in the evening, walking back to the Guild from Mistveil Keep after a meeting with the Jarl. Brynjolf wanted to establish old ties that Gallus had formed, but without the sex, to improve his Guild and protect his thieves. He had also met Maven earlier that day to let her know he was the new leader and things were going to improve now that Mercer was dead, explaining to her all that had happened, leaving out the Nightingale secrets. She was impressed that he, with help, was able to get everything fixed and know that there would be no more issues with promises to make her business better than ever.

Brynjolf didn’t know what possessed him as he passed the steps leading down to the Ratway and continued walking towards Gallus’ old home—his old home. The place was starting to look run down, with vines growing all over it, wood starting to rot since no one was taking care of it. Loria intruded his mind unwanted, thinking about the home and how happy he was then. It seemed so long ago, hardly remembering the last time he was truly that happy. The only time he could think of was when he was with Loria, as Talia. Their time together was short, but it was meaningful, at least to him, more meaningful than any other relationship he had ever had. It was one of the reasons he was so angry at her. He was angry at her deceit and lies, that she didn’t trust him enough to tell him the truth.

Finding the spare key, he was surprised it wasn’t half-buried in the mud under the stone but realized that Loria probably inspected it. It was stupid of him to assume she wouldn’t have done so. The door squeaked on old hinges as he opened the door and walked into wetness from a leaking roof and plants growing inside. He soon regretted he never took care of the place, letting it get that bad. 

Brynjolf ignored his mind as his body forced him to take down the growing vines, pulling out the weeds. He piled rotting books and clothes to toss away, breaking old furniture and started to clean it out. There was a sudden determination to make the old house livable again. Soon he was covered in dirt, soiling his clothes. Satisfied he made a dent in the house, he promised himself he would spend several days a week fixing up the place to make it livable once more. When it was done, he would make it a home again.

He was drying his hair in his room after his bath and saw something glinting in the corner. Picking it up, Brynjolf remembered the ring Loria had bought when she was a child, leaving it for him. He dangled it by the chain, looking closely at it. He remembered throwing it but forgot to pick it up in his anger, then he got busy. The ring was quite nice, gold with an amber stone in the center, and looked enchanted. 

The ring and chain were gently placed on his desk, remembering Loria had written him a letter. He had intentionally avoided reading it, believing there were no words that would change his mind about his hurt, no reason good enough for not revealing herself. Now that he was calm, he grabbed it off of his desk and rolled it, deciding to finally read what she had to say for herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Passing unnoticed.


	28. Like Two Passing Ships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Brynjolf finally reads Loria's letter, then decided to go find her in Cyrodiil. Little does he know that she is headed back to Riften.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Please let us know what you think down in the comments <3

Brynjolf unrolled the parchment looking at Loria’s words, but not reading it. It was clearly written in haste, but she had a lot to say, with several words scratched out and re-written. Resigned to finally read it, he sat at his desk and focused on what she was trying to tell him, though he doubted anything she had to say would change his mind.

_ Brynjolf, _

_ I hope you read this, but you are probably too angry with me. No, I know you are angry with me. It is written all over your face and it hurts me that I hurt you. You are right. I should have told you the day I walked through the Guild doors. I should have told you who I was. Part of me was afraid to. I wanted to help the Guild and find out what was going on and I could only truly do that in anonymity. But reflecting back I think I was afraid. I was afraid still for my life after what happened to my father, but more afraid to face you after leaving you behind. I know I was just a child and did what my father told me to do, but I should have reached out to you after all these years and I never did. _

_ After we traveled together, getting to know one another, the closer we got, and then I was even more afraid to tell you. So much so, I almost ran back to Cyrodiil. I’m a coward and I’m weak when it comes to things like this. But I want you to know that you have never left my mind for all those years. I have held on to this ring around my neck, wearing it since I was a child with you always in my thoughts. I realize now, looking back, I have always loved you. I have loved you as a part of my family now I love you as something deeper than that. I didn’t know what to do with these feelings, so I pushed them away like I always do. I’m done pushing people away. I’m done hiding what I feel. I love you. I’m no longer going to deny that, even if you do hate me for what I have done. _

_ I’m not going to make excuses or come up with some long explanation justifying my lie. I should have told you from the beginning. You are right, and all I can offer you is my deepest apology. I know it’s not good enough, but it’s all I have other than this ring. It’s yours. It always was. _

_ I hope one day you can forgive me for I would like to see you again, even if we aren’t the same as we were when I was Talia. _

_ I love you, _

_ Loria _

Brynolf wanted to stew at her words and remain angry with her, but all he felt was deflated, feeling the anger seep out of him, not having the energy any longer to resent Loria. He re-read her letter three more times and each time, he felt less and less hurt by what she had done. Yes, she explained why she did what she did, but she admitted it was wrong. She agreed that he was justified in his anger.

He had to come to terms with his own issues and why his anger ran so deep. Brynjolf had to admit within himself that he struggled with closeness after being betrayed by women in his youth. He subconsciously blamed women for his commitment problems when in reality it was his own doing. It was that one moment, he let his guard down finally to a woman only to find he had been betrayed yet again. Instead of listening to Loria as to why she hid herself, he shut her out and stewed in his own resentments, feelings of betrayal raw once more. 

Looking back now, Karliah never betrayed Gallus and he was reunited with her and Loria once more. It was only that one woman in the beginning who had truly lied to him and hurt him. Perhaps it was irrational to stop connecting with others over one woman. He still wasn’t happy Loria lied to him, hiding herself, especially after they were intimate, but he could understand her fears because he too shared the same fears. 

Brynjolf closed his eyes and tried to place himself in Loria’s shoes and what he would have done. Upon reflection, he probably would have lied too. He could understand her fears, torn between telling him the truth and being afraid he would hurt her, not wanting to lose that connection he finally got to have.

Sighing, he rolled her letter back up and picked up the chain and ring once more, inspecting it as if it was for the first time seeing it. His hands had minds of their own as they slipped the chain around his neck and laid it gently on top of his tunic.

The Ragged Flagon was busy as the Thieves got ready for the day, eating and drinking. Brynjolf sat down with Delvin and Sapphire who were sharing a table that morning eating breakfast.

“Mornin’ boss,” Delvin said. “Things are gettin’ better around ‘ere thanks to you and Lor. Speakin’ of which, does she have plans on comin’ back? You are tryin’ to get her to come back, right? We could use her around ‘ere.”

“There are no plans,” Brynjolf simply said.

“Why aren’t there plans? Are you still fucking mad at her?” Sapphire nearly yelled out, anger planted on her face, arms folded. “What does she need to do? Kiss your ass and beg for your forgiveness, oh great one who never made a mistake in his life.”

“You are pushing it, Saph…”

“Don’t ‘Saph’ me. What are you going to do? Fire me? You need me because I’m good at what I do. Get over it, Bryn. She cares about you.”

“She’s right, Bryn. We need Lor around ‘ere and she cares about you. Besides, she belongs ‘ere. This is her home,” Delvin agreed.

Brynjolf abruptly stood up, no longer hungry. “I know!” he shouted, and everyone in the Flagon grew silent. “Mind your fucking business!” He grabbed his plate of food and walked back to the Cistern to eat in peace. Why did they have to keep pushing like that? Why couldn’t they just mind their own damned business?

He placed his food on his desk and sat on his bed, rubbing his face in frustration. Brynjolf was never going to get her out of his mind, not at this rate. All he could do was think about her day in and day out. After first it was this perpetual anger and hurt, but after reading her letter all he wanted to do was go to her, to find her, but he had no idea where to look, not that he asked anyone.

_ Fuck it. _ Brynjolf, ignoring his breakfast, started to pack his bag. When he was done, he gave Delvin a list of instructions on what needed to be done as his Second. 

“Bring her back home, boss…” Delvin said to Brynjolf’s back as he walked away.

Brynjolf ignored the man, not knowing how Delvin knew where he was going or what he was doing.

It didn’t take very long to reach Nightingale Hall where Karliah had been living. Brynjolf walked in and noticed a remarkable change in the place. She had cleaned up the debris, tossed old and rotted furniture, replacing it with new pieces. 

He found Karliah practicing her aim firing arrow after arrow, hitting the bullseye each time. Brynjolf clapped when she went to retrieve her arrows out of the target, not noticing he was there watching. 

Karliah smiled at his presence. “To what do I owe this pleasure, Bryn?”

“You’ve cleaned up this place nicely. It looks good.”

“Yes, well, I have to keep myself busy when I’m not working. I enjoy being alone, but it can be boring sometimes too.”

“You should come to visit once in a while,” he suggested.

“I will. Why are you here, Bryn?” Karliah asked, knowing he wouldn’t just come to visit out of the blue unless he had a purpose, a reason for being there.

“Do you know where she is?”

Karliah’s eyes narrowed, wondering why Byrnjolf now wanted to know where Loria was knowing he was still angry with the girl. “Yes,” she simply said.

“Are you going to be difficult, Karl? You know my question wasn’t a rhetorical one.”

“Are you going to be nice to her, Bryn, or are you going down there to give her a piece of your mind finally, done ignoring her? Because if that is all you plan to do, then you can just leave her alone. She’s been through enough. I know you have as well and I understand your hurt, but she meant well and she understands her mistake. The girl loves you. But if you only plan to hurt her some more, then you can forget it,” Karliah lectured.

Brynjolf blew out a sigh, not knowing if it was from feeling more deflated than before or in irritation. His emotions were all over the place. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I...I want to see her and talk to her. My intention isn’t to hurt her, but I have this urge to see her. I wasn’t expecting her to leave, thinking I had time to sort things out before I finally talked to her. Yes, I was angry, now... now it just hurts. Despite these feelings I’m having, I... I miss her. Honestly, I don’t know what I’m going to say to her when I see her. All I can promise you is I will listen. She left me a letter and I only just read it this morning.”

Brynjolf pulled out the ring on the chain from under his armor to show Karliah. “She left this for me as well. It, apparently, was always meant for me. I’m not going to be able to move on or choose to be with her until we can settle some things.”

Karliah stood close to Brynjolf looking up at him, jabbing a finger in his chest. “I mean it, Bryn. I love you like a son, but if you hurt her… You listen to her and hear her side of things. You let her talk and then you two fix things. Fix it to where at least you two are talking again. Is that clear?”

“Crystal…”

“Very well. She went back to the Imperial City and the Thieves Guild there where she grew up, her only other home.”

“I thought she might have gone there, but I had to be sure.”

“Remember my words, Bryn,” Karliah warned, and pulled the man into an embrace. “Be careful.”

“I will remember,” he promised, returning her hug.

Vigilance was having his lunch and Loria was in the kitchen per usual eating Una’s delicious cooking when Talia walked in for a snack herself. Loria had been strangely quiet and moppy lately. The girl had worked on several small jobs, keeping busy, but nothing seemed to lift her spirits. 

“What’s wrong girl,” Talia asked, watching Loria pick at her food, which was strange since she normally devoured Una’s cooking.

“Nothing…”

“Lor, you have been pouting since you got back from Riften, weeks now. It wouldn’t be about some handsome red-head would it?”   


Loria nibbled at her food. She was hungry and loved Una’s food, but her stomach just roiled and refused to accept most of what she put in her mouth. She knew what was wrong with her, but it was hard to come to terms with. Just when she was finally starting to move on from Bryn, now this. She still missed him, but her feelings for him were still strong, feeling better about things with work as a good distraction. 

Since she always told Talia the truth, not keeping secrets from her, she came clean. “I’m pregnant.”

“Oh, shit... how did that happen?” Talia asked.

Loria raised an eyebrow at her adoptive mother. “I know you never had kids of your own, but surely you know how this works.” She was attempting at humor, but it came off as flat and condescending.

“Yes, I know how babies are made... no need to be snippy. I meant you are usually very careful with these things, never getting pregnant by accident before. I take it you are not happy with this new outcome.”

Loria finally looked at Talia, “I was careful. I took my potions. Brynjolf takes potions too to keep him relatively infertile before sex. There should have been no way for me to get pregnant. I don’t know how this could have happened. It’s not even that, I mean I never really thought about having children before, but Brynjolf is out of my life and now I have his child, who will be a constant reminder that I can’t have him.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Keep it.”

“No, I am sure you will, otherwise you wouldn’t be pregnant still if you made any other choice. I mean are you going to tell him?” Talia asked.

“I... I don’t know. I don’t know what to do. It’s not like he’s talking to me anyway. He already hates me, but if I tell him, I’m afraid it will force him to stay with me and just be unhappy for the rest of his life, not that I would allow him to do such a thing. I just don’t want him to feel obligated. It’s not like I can’t take care of the child alone, I can.”

“He has a right to know and a right to make his own choices, Loria. You not giving him that option in the first place is what got you in trouble with him when you came clean to him.”

Loria sighed and nodded. Talia was right, she had to tell him. She remained silent about it for purely selfish reasons not wanting to face his anger again, but it was the right thing to do. He deserved to have a say in regards to his own child.

“The Guild Master is right, child,” Una said, handing Loria a large package of food.

“What’s this, Una?” Loria asked, taking the food.

“Food for your trip.”

“What trip?” Loria asked, curious as to what Una was talking about.

“The trip you are going to make today back to Riften and tell the young man he’s a father.”

The last thing Loria wanted to do was face Brynjolf in person. He was already angry with her and this could very well be the tip of the iceberg. She couldn’t imagine he would be happy about this new development. “Can’t I just write him a letter or something?” she complained.

“Granted, we are thieves and not exactly law-abiding, but we are family. We have each other’s backs. You know it is better to tell him the news in person. It’s the right thing to do by him. Una is right. Go on back to Riften, face him, though I know you do not want to, and give him the news. You made your choices, now you have to face them and deal with the consequences. You know this, Lor,” Talia explained.

Why did Una and Talia have to be right? Loria knew it was the right thing to do. Nodding, she took her food and headed to her room to pack her belongings and return back to Riften and face Brynjolf’s ire, if he would even listen to her. The last time she saw him, he didn’t want to talk to her at all.

Grabbing Nebula, she rode out of the Imperial City with Vigilance and back to Riften with a heavy heart and dread in her stomach, along with nausea. She hoped, at least, Una’s delicious food wouldn’t go to waste. It would if she couldn’t keep any of it down.

Brynolf slowed down his horse as he made it through the Imperial City. He had never seen it before and was in awe at the size of it. No wonder Loria loved it so much. He could imagine all the wealth ripe for the picking around there, not surprised the Guild in Cyrodiil did so well. 

All the packed buildings, stores, houses, temples, gardens left him in wonder, especially the throng of people. Byrnjolf never saw so many congregate in one place before, even compared to Solitude. If the Riften Guild didn’t have an Imperial thief from the City to give Brynjolf instructions, the man would have no idea how to find them. It wasn’t like the Cyrodiil Thieves Guild was on any map. 

He was hungry, passing inns with the smells of cooking wafting outside, making his stomach rumble, but he pushed on wanting to just get this over with. He had run down all the things he would say to Loria when he got there, but each time he thought he had it down, he scratched it off his mental list. The closer he got, he found himself strangely filled with nerves, his stomach in knots, palms sweating through the reins as he guided his horse out of the city and into the shipping yard.

Birds flew in haphazard flocks looking for any bit of morsel caught in the fishing nets, large ship masts could be seen over warehouses that lined the edge of the City. 

Inside the house where the Thieves Guild conducted their business, Brynolf was greeted with delicious smells from the kitchen. His stomach rumbled loudly, feeling the strong pangs of hunger. First, he had to find the Guild Master, not knowing exactly where Loria was. He looked around, room to room, but there was no sign of her. The last room he came to, the door was open and there sat a beautiful red-headed woman. He knew instantly that she was Talia, except an older version of her, with gray hair threaded in. 

His heart nearly stopped at seeing her, bringing forth memories of his time with the woman he thought was Talia. The woman looked up at him with those same dark eyes, creasing with a few wrinkles as she smiled up at him. He stood in the doorway nervously, unable to find his voice.

Talia looked up from her work at her desk to see a handsome red-headed man staring at her. At first, she was surprised, but it soon dawned on her that the man standing before her was Brynjolf, looking every bit as Loria described him. That, and the look on his face as if he knew her was also a giveaway.

“You must be Brynjolf,” she said. “I’m Talia, the Guild Master here. Please come in and have a seat.”

When Brynjolf sat in the chair across from her, he started to fidget, still unable to say anything.

“I’m assuming you are here for Loria?” Smiling as he just nodded, still not saying anything. “Cat got your tongue?”

Brynojlf coughed in embarrassment, “Right, sorry. Uhm, yes, I’m looking for Loria. I need to talk with her.”

“I’m afraid you are out of luck. You see, she has gone back to Riften to find you.”

“What?!” he exclaimed, shocked to find that she went back, thinking she would never return. “Why? I gave her no reason to return.”

“That’s not for me to say. You will have to ask her that.”

“She didn’t tell you?”

“She told me. I said it wasn’t for me to say, not that I didn’t know.”

The disappointment was evident on his face. Brynjolf didn’t know what to expect, but the idea that she wouldn’t even be there and headed back to Riften didn’t even cross his mind. “When did she leave?”

“Two days ago.”

“I see… Well, I... I guess I’ll be going then. I should get back there.”

“She will wait for your return. Come, let’s get you some food. I can tell by your talking stomach that you need to eat,” Talia said, laughing as his stomach growled.

Brynjolf tried to control the heat that crept up his face unsuccessfully. “Aye, I could use some food, thank you.”

He left the Imperial City the next morning back to Riften with much-needed rest and a belly full of good food. Una wouldn’t dare let him leave without a large package of food for his trip, ensuring his stomach wouldn’t be hungry again while he rode back to Skyrim. The day and night before were full of laughs, memories, and good food with promises of the two Guilds working closer together in the future. Brynjolf felt better emotionally than he had in a long time, a smile on his face as he rode out back home. 

It took Loria nearly a week to reach Riften. She tried to steady the heart palpitations, unsure if it was due from nerves or her pregnancy, feeling nausea roil in her stomach once more. Taking a deep and committed breath, she walked into the Ratway and straight to the Flagon. 

The usual people were hanging about. Vex in her usual spot of leaning against the wall, not realizing how beautiful she was as men pinned over her, especially at Delvin who could never truly hide his adoration. He was sitting at his usual table, looking over the ledger while trying not to focus on Vex. Vekel was cooking something in a pot over the fire getting ready for the evening’s dinner.

Punching Dirge on the shoulder as she walked by left a smile on his face, a rare occasion for the big Imperial. She waved at Vex who scowled at her, though the blonde couldn’t hide the twinkle in her eye as Loria sat down with Delvin.

“Lor!” Delvin exclaimed as soon as he looked up, unable to hide his surprise.

“Hi, Del.”

“Whatcha doin’ here, girl?” Delvin asked, not able to wipe away the surprise from his face, then it hit him that she wasn’t with Brynjolf. “Where’s Bryn?”

“How should I know, probably back in the Cistern or his room. It’s why I’m back,” Loria explained.

“Shit, he’s not ‘ere. He went to find you.”

“What?! Are you saying we just passed each other? How long ago did he leave?”

“Just over a week.”

“Why was he coming to get me? I thought he refused to talk to me. Urgh, OK, so now what do I do?”

“He didn’t rightly say. All’s I know was he was headin’ to you,” Delvin explained. “What you should do is stay here and wait for his return. He will realize you have come up here and return. It’s good to see you, though. Need any jobs?”

“Thanks, Del. No, I’m not going to go anywhere until I see him.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: The last chapter :(
> 
> I hope you come check out my latest story when you're done here :). [The Renegade](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26058193)


	29. A Home Rebuilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loria and Brynjolf finally reunite. Last chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading and a special thank you to those who supported this story through comments and kudos. It keeps me writing.

Loria’s nausea had gotten worse the next several days as she waited for Brynjolf’s return. Unable to do much else, she decided to finally go to work on her father’s old house—her old house. She wanted to make it liveable again. No one would tell her why Brynjolf went to look for her, perhaps they really didn’t know. He was probably done with his silent treatment and ready to tear into her, and she would take it, facing the consequences of her choices.

She knew she wouldn’t live there, Brynjolf didn’t want her anyway and she would return to Cyrodiil once she gave him the news, deciding to clean it up for him to have, hoping he would live there when she left. He had abandoned it, but now that their pasts have been restored, perhaps he would live there once again. Her old home should stay empty no longer. 

When she walked in, Loria was shocked to find the place already being cleaned out. Most of the rotten furniture was hauled away, moldy books gone. All the vines and weeds that had grown in there had been removed and there was a stack of fresh wood with a hammer, nails, and a saw.  _ Brynjolf must have done this _ . Who else would take the time to fix up the old home?

Loria felt the tears come, something she had been doing a lot lately, annoyingly so. She didn’t know why it touched her that he would care enough to fix up the place. Choking it back, she grabbed some wood and the saw to start repairing the wooden boards on the walls and floor. 

The old ghosts of her family and sense of home haunted her with each nail she pounded into the fresh wood. Memories of her childhood refused to leave her as the run-down house became a home once more.

It was well into the night and Loria lit enough candles to see so she could continue working. She only stopped long enough to eat and throw up a couple of times then went back at it—getting lost in it. The rebuilding was a catalyst for healing, pushing away the pain, so she didn’t want to stop despite the aching muscles in her arms and back. 

When Brynjolf walked into Riften, he could see candles flickering in the windows of the old house. More curious than worried, he went straight there to see what was going on to find Loria hammering away at wood, fixing up the house with the materials he left behind. It felt good to have her there, watching her. Her tunic was filthy, black braided hair was falling out in clumps as she worked. Brynjolf had to admit he missed her as he leaned in the doorway to watch her work, not ready to talk yet. He wasn’t quite sure if it was Talia or Loria he missed.

Loria was hammering away when the candles flickered from a sudden breeze and heard Vigilance bark happily at someone. Looking behind her, she saw a man squatting in the doorway petting her dog, instantly recognizing him. Hand covering her mouth, Loria sobbed at the sight of Brynjolf. The tears seemed to come out of nowhere and her pregnancy was most likely, or at least partially, responsible for the sudden, seemingly constant, emotions. There were no thoughts of regret or fear from his anger. All she felt was relief at seeing him standing there.

Brynjolf said nothing as he walked over to her and pulled her into his arms, holding her as she wept into him. The simple gesture telling her that he forgave her and cared about her.

“I’m so sorry,” Loria repeated over and over in his chest as she cried.

“Shhh, it’s OK, lass,” he whispered, pulling her in tighter.

“Why did…” they both said at the same time, chuckling when she had calmed down enough to speak.

“You first, lass.”

“Why did you come looking for me?” Loria asked, wiping away tears.

“I was about to ask the same question. I went looking for you because I had to talk to you. I honestly didn't know what I was going to say when I saw you. All I knew was I had to find you. Now that I have... I... I am just happy to see you. How about you? Why did you come back?”

Loria’s fear suddenly returned realizing she was going to have to tell him about the pregnancy. He could see the fear cross her turbulent eyes, but soon her face took on a darkened hue as she ran towards a bucket to throw up, narrowly missing the floor. Concern coursed through him and he was going to go to her, but she waved him off.

“Urgh, disgusting…” She straightened up, wiped her mouth, and took a large sip of water, washing out her mouth, feeling better, albeit temporarily. “That is why I’m here…” she said, pointing at the bucket.

Fear crept up through Brynjolf’s chest and closed his eyes to breathe calming breaths. “You’re sick… Are... are… you” he tried to ask, unable to, thinking something was seriously wrong with her.

“What? Wait, no... I’m not _ that _ kind of sick. I, uhm... well, you better sit down.”

“Just tell me, lass,” Brynjolf said, suddenly on edge.

“OK, then, I need to sit.” Loria sat down on a rickety chair, looking up at him with worrying hands. “I may as well be out with it… I’m pregnant... it’s yours.”

“That’s impossible,” was all he said, he was always careful. “I’m careful about such things.”

“I am too, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m pregnant.” She breathed out a sigh, relieved he at least wasn’t yelling or accusing her of sleeping around. “I think I have an answer to that if you will hear it.”

“I’m listening,” he said, arms folded.

“I think this was Nocturnal’s doing, my mother. Karliah told me how I came to be despite my father being careful as well. She explained that Nocturnal was able to reverse the effects of the potions he was taking, allowing me to come into being. Karliah said Nocturnal wanted to create a family line that carried her traits, to protect her and the Sepulchre. The only way to do that is for me to have a family of my own. I never thought of having a family or children, which was probably why she intervened. 

I don’t know if it was possible being trapped as she was, but I wonder if it had something to do with luck or chance or... I don’t know. I do know she still wielded some sort of power despite being trapped. It’s the only explanation I have. Or maybe it’s because I’m half Daedric Prince? Unless... unless it was just chance,” she shrugged.

Brynjolf rubbed his face in frustration. This was not something he was expecting. He was not a father, not knowing the first thing about raising a child. He was still coming to grips with forgiving Loria let alone starting a family with her. But shit, if Gallus could do it, so could he, remembering the day Loria arrived in that basket and Gallus quickly warming to the baby, loving her. He looked back when she was a baby and how he helped take care of her. Surely this wouldn’t be much different. “Listen, lass…”

Loria abruptly stood seeing the worry and frustration cross his face. Dusting off the back of her pants, she busied herself getting her stuff together and to head back to the Cistern. She gave him the news and it was done. It was time for her to return home. “It’s OK, Bryn. You don’t need to worry. I came here to tell you how sorry I was and to let you know about the baby. I’m done keeping secrets from you. It was your right to know. Don’t worry... I can handle it. There’s nothing you need to do. Sorry, I know I’m rambling... Anyway, I’m leaving in the morning now that you’re back and know the truth.”

She believed when she told him that he would be furious, but despite knowing that, she didn’t know why she was so crushed by his disappointment. Maybe there was a residual hope that he would accept her and the child, but it was not meant to be. Resigning herself to the inevitable, she walked towards the door, but not before Brynjolf grabbed her and pulled her into him.

He let her ramble before stopping her. Looking down at her confused eyes, he brushed away some stray hairs. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“I thought…”

“You thought wrong,” he interrupted, knowing what she was going to say, and kissed her. He pulled away to see her tears once more, wiping them away with thumbs as he held her face. “You are going to stay here with me, lass, in this house, and raise our child. We are going to make this a happy home again.”

“Are you sure you want to do this, Bryn? It’s not going to be easy.”

“I’m not going to lie. I’m terrified, but I know I want you in my life. Yes, I was angry and hurt, but seeing you today made me realize how much I missed you and want to be with you. I forgive you, Lor,” he said and kissed her once more.

Brynjolf stood there holding her, happy to have her back, surprised all his anguish and frustrations washing away like a dusty day in a rainstorm. All his connections with Talia came back and replaced them with Loria. She may have looked different, but it wasn’t her appearance that he fell for. It was who she was as a person. Someone he could relate to, someone who understood him. He knew that person was Loria all along. She may have changed how she looked, but she didn’t change who she was.

“No more secrets anymore, OK,” he said when they pried themselves apart. 

“It’s why I’m here, Bryn.”

“Good,” he said, kissing her forehead. “Let’s get out of here and get cleaned up. You stink.”

Loria barked a laugh, sniffing herself. “Yes, I could use a soak. I’ve been working on the house most of the day.”

“We will work on it together, OK?” 

She smiled up at him, pleased about these surprising turn of events. Loria believed deep down he would never forgive her, that she lost him for good. Her only hope was to at least be able to stay in contact with him, not wanting Brynjolf completely out of her life. To say she was happy he chose to not only forgive her but to be with her, was an understatement. For the first time in her life, she was in love and had no intention of running ever again.

They headed to the Bee and Barb for a quick meal. Loria was looking a bit thin, and while she tried to eat, she couldn’t stomach much. Hand in hand, they walked down to the Cistern after dinner and took a quick bath together. It would have been a good opportunity for something more intimate, but there was a risk of getting caught by another thief wanting to bathe as they were semi-public. Brynjolf had plans to get a bathing room in order for the house once it was fixed up. Despite the lack of privacy, that didn’t stop them from sneaking in quick kisses and touches

As soon as his bedroom door was shut, he turned to her, lust in his eyes, but they quickly softened when he saw how tired she really was. She was on his bed, trying to stifle a yawn, smiling gamely at him, wanting to stay awake.

“Come on. Let’s get some rest,” he said removing his towel, then hers as both crawled into bed naked. 

Loria rested her head on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around her as she slid a hand down his body, but before she reached between his legs, he grabbed her hand. “Sleep, lass. We have time for that later. We have all the time in the world for that.”

“But I want to,” she said, yawning again, snuggling into his warm body, feeling her eyes getting heavy.

“I am sure, but you can’t stop yawning. No, you worked hard today. Get some sleep and we can worry about all that later. Does that sound good?” Brynolf chuckled as he was only met with soft rhythmic breathing, Loria already asleep.

It was a bit surreal for him. Here he was, so angry with her for weeks just to have her wrapped up in his arms and a baby on the way. Not to mention she was Nocturnal’s daughter. Now he was more than just content, he was happy. If there was any woman in this world who could make him happy, someone he could relate to and love, it was Loria. All sense of betrayal and hurt washed away as soon as he saw her tonight working on the house. Brynjolf soon drifted off to sleep with all the things he needed to get done before the baby arrived.

Because they went to bed early, Loria woke up early. She could sense it wasn’t quite yet dawn. Brynjolf was on his back, sleeping with slow deep breaths. Her face was close to his neck as she inhaled him, the lingering scent of lavender from their bath with a hint of masculine musk. She loved the smell and it stirred something inside her. Picking up the ring around his neck, she looked at it smiling, glad he was wearing it. She had seen him wearing it while they were in the bath, but they were a bit busy. Now she had time to reflect on things, pleasantly surprised by the happy turn of events. 

A small wicked grin planted on her face as she slid a delicate hand down between his legs, wanting him to wake up, needing him. She now understood the lure of morning sex, aroused just by Brynjolf’s scent alone, inhaling him deeply once more. 

Brynjolf shifted his body as he hardened beneath her hand, knowing he was waking up to her touches. Looking up at him, Loria could see one sleepy eye crack open. “You women and morning sex,” he grumbled teasingly, using her words against her from last time.

“I don’t see your body complaining?” Loria retorted, gripping his hardness.

He rolled them over and laid on top of her, kissing her neck. “I never complain when it comes to sex,” he said between kisses. When he pulled away, her hands shot to her face. “Lass...why are you crying? You were laughing a second ago.”

“I know... sorry... I’m just so happy and... this damned baby makes me all blubbery. I’ve been overly emotional since I knew I was pregnant.”

“It’s OK, I understand... well, I don’t, I’m not a woman, but I get the idea,” he said, wiping her tears. “I’m happy too, lass.”

“I don’t see you weeping.”

Brynolf laughed and kissed her lips. “I’m not pregnant.”

“You’d probably handle it better than I am.”

“I doubt it, but you are doing just fine.”

She looked at him, her eyes almost shy yet turbulent, “I love you, Bryn. I know you don’t love me, at least not yet. That’s OK, but I want to tell you everything now... to not be afraid.”

“Nonsense... I love you too. It was probably one of the reasons why I was so upset with you,” he said. It felt strange to say those words, having never really uttered them before except perhaps when he was young, certainly not after the first woman he thought he loved. It may have felt a bit strange, but they were easy to say to Loria. Perhaps it was because he had known her all her life, despite being separated by a couple of decades.

Before she could weep or say anything else, Brynjolf pressed his lips to her, tongue seeking hers, a hand trailing down her hips. There was nothing complicated about their lovemaking as he easily slipped inside her. Loria sighed as he filled her, arching her back into him.

Arms wrapped around his neck, legs around his waist, Brynjolf thrust slowly, purposefully, taking his time. Kisses on hot breath on her neck sent pleasant shivers down her arm. The heat filled her between her legs and in her core, pressure building as he built up speed and depth. 

Loria had made love to Brynjolf a couple of times before, but it felt like the first time, and it was in a way. It was the first time they were together as Loria. Her connection with him was different this time. It had a closeness to it she had not felt before. Perhaps because now she loved him and she wondered if that was what it felt like to make love to someone you actually loved. It felt more emotional, raw. Loria wanted to weep again, getting a bit tired of it, but she choked it back to feel every bit of him as he rolled his hips into her.

Brynjolf always knew exactly how to move to hit all the right spots as Loria felt her body build in pressure like a pot of water about to boil over, when it did and she exploded, holding him tightly, he too released in her. The two lovers laid there for a while, catching their breaths and cooling down, Brynjolf not yet ready to let her go, but finally pulled out and rolled to the side facing her, gentle fingertips caressing her face. One who avoided love like the plague now couldn’t believe he lived as long as he did without it. It was a cold and lonely life, not realizing he was grasping for it every time he found a woman to make love to, to have that bit of spark but when it became too bright, he pushed it away. Now he embraced it, looking forward to his future for the first time in his life since Gallus died.

The house was nearly complete after months and months of slow and agonizing work, trying to fit in the time between running the Thieves Guild and doing jobs. Loria rubbed her large belly, feeling the baby pound away at her stomach, as she stood in the entryway looking at their handiwork. The dedication paid off and the house looked nearly as good as new.

Brynjolf came up behind her, wrapping his hands around her stomach and kissed her neck. “It’s nearly done, lass. Just a couple of minor things, but it’s almost complete.”

“It looks beautiful, Bryn,” she replied, turning to face him. Wrapping her arms around his neck she pulled him in for a kiss. “My father would be proud.”

“Your father, I think, would be quite surprised at you and me, lass.”

Loria giggled. “Yes, I don’t think he ever imagined you and I together like this.”

“Are you ready to stay the first night in our home finally?”

“I’m ready. I’m honestly relieved that our child won’t have to be raised in a sewer, that we are able to give it a real home, just like my father did with you and me.”

“I’m not sure what I would have done had Gallus not arrived that day. I would probably have ended up with the Dark Brotherhood and been a murderer. I truly believe Gallus saved my life the day he walked into the Cistern. I still miss him.”

“I miss him too, every day now that we are here. It is a constant reminder of growing up, but the memories are good ones, so it doesn’t hurt too much.”

Loria and Brynjolf looked at the door, hearing someone knock. Brynjolf opened it and was surprised to see Karliah standing there holding a large, wrapped item.

“I hope I’m not intruding. I had heard you were nearly done with our old home,” Karliah said, coming in, walking around inspecting all their hard work. “You both did a wonderful job.”

Karliah embraced Loria and Brynjolf. “I have something for you,” she said, handing the package to Loria who opened it to find a painting of her father. A wave of memories flooded her, mainly of when she was a child, finally remembering what he looked like. His image from her mind had faded throughout the years, but the painting was such a good likeness, his face was restored once more to her memories.

Tears sprung up in Loria’s eyes, trying not to cry at the happy moment. “Thank you, Karl. It’s perfect.”

Brynjolf took the painting and hung it up in a place that would be seen frequently. All three stood back to look at it. It was strange that one thing, one object, could make the home feel complete, whole.

It was early evening and Brynjolf was making dinner for everyone, Karliah teasing him about how domestic he had become. “It’s Gallus’ fault for making me learn how to cook,” he feigned irritability. In reality, he enjoyed it when it wasn’t just for him.

As they were eating, there was another knock on the door from a surprise visitor. Loria struggled to stand and went to open the door to find Talia standing there. “Wha... what are you doing here?” she asked.

“Is that any way to greet the woman who virtually raised you?” Talia said, smirking.

“I’m sorry. I’m very happy to see you,” Loria said, hugging the woman.

“Before you ask, I’m here because I knew you would be due to having that child soon and I wanted to be here for the birth. I’m sorry I came uninvited, but I wanted to surprise you. Don’t worry... I have a room at the Bee and Barb, so I won’t be in the way.”

“You are not staying in the Inn, end of story,” Brynjolf demanded. “There’s plenty of room here.”

A couple of nights later, the entire household was startled awake by loud moans and groans. Loria was having a baby. Brynjolf ran off to grab Dinya Balu, the priestess of Mara, who promised to help with the delivery of the child. It was the middle of the night, and he hoped she could still make it, hating to wake the woman up.

Loria was curled up fetally in bed with each contraction as Talia and Karliah sat beside her with cooing noises and gentle pats, not quite knowing what else to do since neither ever had a baby before. 

What felt like an eternity, Dinya finally arrived issuing orders to everyone. She gave Brynjolf the most to do since he was the one with the most stress while the other two women would stay and help with the birth. 

Brynjolf was done with his job of retrieving fresh water, towels, and sheets. Now he just paced back and forth, Vigilant close at his heels whining. He needed something to do, but not knowing what. He wanted to be in there with Loria, but every time he tried, the women yelled at him to get out. Her screams were getting to him and he didn’t know if that was normal or if there was something wrong.

After a couple of hours, Karliah came out to tell him all was going well and that Loria was asking for him. Brynjolf didn’t have to be told twice to go into their bedroom. The site of Loria was worrying, her hair wasn’t only damp from sweat, but it was in plumes of shadow in her pain. It appeared that she wasn’t only giving birth but trying to hold her body together. If Dinya was shocked by this, she gave no indication. When the contraction reached their peak of pain, Loria did waft in shadow only to quickly return again. 

When the pain subsided for a bit she saw Brynjolf standing there and reached out her hand to hold him. Kneeling, he grabbed her hand and kissed it, relieved to be by her side and not pacing uselessly.

Loria must have been close because Dinya told the mother-to-be to try and maintain her solid form to get the baby out. She did as she was told as her screaming continued. After what felt like an eternity, but was mere minutes, the infant was born. 

“It’s a boy!” shouted Dinya, soon shocked to find her hands empty as the crying infant vanished and reappeared on its mother’s chest. “Well, that’s... unusual,” Dinya said, and to give the woman credit, she was calm despite her surprise.

Loria and Brynjolf agreed that they would name their child Denai no matter if it was a boy or a girl, keeping in line with Gallus’ love of the Falmer and their language. Denai meant ‘bond,’ a bond they both felt for their new child.

Denai looked just like Loria, sharing her nebula-like eyes, but he had dark red hair peeking through a nearly bald scalp, red hair just like his father.

“He’s beautiful, lass,” Brynjolf finally said when the awe of what just happened eased away and he was able to find his voice. 

“Poor kid is going to have red hair,” she teased sleepily, holding her feeding infant.

“What’s wrong with red hair, exactly?” he asked, kissing her head.

“Absolutely nothing.”

Loria held her sleeping infant son upright against her shoulder as she walked through the murky terrain, following the orb of light, though she knew her way quite well already. Opening the engraved doors, she walked in to see her mother waiting on her usual chaise lounge. While Nocturnal was the epitome of laid back calmness, when she wasn’t angry, her eyes flickered with impatience and excitement at seeing her new infant grandson.

Nocturnal slowly stood and approached the new mother, her daughter, holding out her arms. “Loria, it is too kind of you to visit me and with Denai, no less.”

Loria handed over Denai to Nocturnal, who cradled the infant in her arms, cooing at the baby who had woken up. Nocturnal was graced with a rare genuine smile as she talked to the baby. 

Loria smiled at her mother, admitting to herself it was a strange sight to see Nocturnal so smitten with an infant. She wondered if that was how her mother held and talked to her when she was a baby herself. Though she wasn’t close to her mother, it did help build up warmth for her with the knowledge that Nocturnal could show love.

“Of course. I am happy to introduce you to your new grandson.”

“Too bad he doesn’t have black hair, but other than that, he’s perfect, Loria.”

“Well, we can’t all be as dark as you,” Loria teased.

“Indeed. And you will train him to be a Nightingale, yes? Your purpose and his?”

“I will, but Brynjolf and I agreed he is not to become a thief. He will grow to protect the Twilight Sepulchre, but I don’t want him having my life or that of his father’s. We want him to make his own choices and have his own opportunities. If he chooses to be a thief, we will not stop him, but we want him to decide, especially since his destiny is mostly already written for him.”

“So be it, as long as he fulfills his duty.”

“He will,” Loria promised.

Nocturnal kissed the child’s forehead and handed him back to Loria. She softened at seeing her daughter hold her new son, the love in her eyes. It reminded her of when Loria was born. Nocturnal rarely admitted it, but she loved the girl, her daughter as well as her new grandson. Loria was all and more than she expected. Perhaps she should tell her more often. 

“How did it go?” Brynjolf asked, waiting for Loria and Denai, as they returned from the portal. 

“Nocturnal has agreed that Denai doesn’t have to become a thief as long as he fulfills his destiny,” Loria explained.

“How does she like her new grandson?”

“If I didn’t know better, I would say she’s in love, though it is hard to tell with my mother being who she is. She wasn’t a fan of the red hair though, wanting him to look like me and her.”

“Well, you can’t have everything,” Brynjolf chuckled, taking no offense.

Loria reached up to kiss his lips. “I beg to differ... I have everything,” she said when she pulled away.

“Aye, we both do, lass.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you come check out my latest story when you're done here :). [The Renegade](https://archiveofourown.org/works/26058193)


End file.
